Ejurahene cries over deplorable state of maternal health at Ejura

The chief of Ejura Traditional Area Barimah Osei Hwedie II has expressed grave concern over the deplorable state of maternal health care delivery in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

According to him, the Ejura Government Hospital which caters to hundreds of communities and serves as the only referral hospital, in the Municipality, lacks a Maternity block and delivery ward.

The situation, he noted, is not only causing high maternal mortality in the area, but also forcing pregnant women to seek antenatal care hundreds of miles away from the Ejura community.

Barimah Osei Hwedie II after a series of meeting with Doctors at the hospital with the last one held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 during the "Awukudee" festival pledged to fastback the construct a 50 bed capacity maternity block for the hospital which is about 60 percent completed.



Speaking to OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng in an exclusive interview, Barima Osei Hwedie II appealed to the government and other cooperate institutions to as a matter of urgency support the project to reduce maternal mortality in the area.

"While most pregnant women in my area deliver on the bare floor, others are compelled to seek medical care outside the municipality due to the lack of maternity block and other critical facilities including delivery ward to man the municipal hospital located in the area", he cried out.

"Government has provided us with a Municipal hospital but it appears residents are not getting the best of healthcare from the facilities as there are growing concerns of maternal mortalities in Municipality".

Efforts by Ejura Traditional Council

The Ejura Traditional area led by Barimah Osei Hwedie II, in 2017 began the construction of an ultramodern 50 bed capacity maternity block for the Ejura Government Hospital.

The facility which was meant to replace the current one which is in a dilapidated form will serve over 100 communities in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality and other adjoining districts.

Although projects have not been abandoned by the chiefs, works on the facility have however been shelved due to financial constraints.



Chiefs and residents of Ejura believe that support from the government, cooperate society and other benevolent institutions will help complete the facility early.