Bonsu Health Centre needs standard maternity ward

Improved maternal health is an important prerequisite for women’s advancement and achieving set targets for goal three of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yet due to low access and utilization of maternal healthcare, women, especially those in rural communities remain vulnerable and under-served.

The SDGs goal three, among others seeks to reduce global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births, and ends preventable deaths of new-born babies and children below five years.

Countries around the world are aiming to reduce neo-natal mortality to as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality to as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.

But, the absence of staff accommodation, laboratory and standard maternity ward at the Bonsu Health Centre in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono East Region is affecting provision and access to quality health care service delivery.

Currently, the Bonsu Health Centre is serving more than 6,000 clients but the facility is bedeviled with poor hygiene and sanitation condition due to lack of sanitary facilities.

This came to light when the Project Assessment Team (PAT) of the Global Media Foundation (GLOMeF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) visited to assess challenges confronting the facility.

Madam Sylvia Boakye Sarpong, the officer in-charge of the facility told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) only two out of the nine health workers had accommodation, and the situation was affecting quality service delivery.

She said the facility recorded about 500 out-patients department cases with 100 being maternity attendance a month and therefore appealed for urgent expansion of the facility.

Madam Sarpong said through its internally-generated fund, the facility was putting up a laboratory of GH¢50,000.00, but had become standstill due to lack of funds and appealed for support.

Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chief Executive Officer of GLOMeF said quality healthcare was a fundamental human right, and a key indicator of sustainable development.

“Poor health conditions threaten the rights of children to education, limit economic opportunities for men and women and increase poverty within communities and countries around the world”.

Mr. Ahenu appealed for support towards upgrading the facility to provide quality healthcare delivery to the people.

In 2018, the human rights and media advocacy NGO initiated and is implementing a project in the area to help achieve the global SDGs three.

Titled “Project Rural Health System Strengthening Program (RHSS)”, the goal of the project aims at partnering the private sector, health care NGOs and public clinics to raise awareness and increase access to targeted health services for all, especially rural communities.

It is also designed to improving health infrastructure in rural communities to help improve quality health care delivery.