<<Print>>

The Ho Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region, which was hitherto regarded as a �death camp� for expectant mothers has recorded zero maternal death between June 2013 and June 2014, down from 14 deaths in 2012, and three deaths in the first half of 2013. To this end, nine midwives of the hospital in the region have recently been awarded by the queen mothers of Asogli Traditional Area for their efforts in reducing maternal mortality. At the maiden award ceremony, the queen mothers also honoured Dr Lawrence Kumi, Medical Superintendent of the hospital and Dr Tamara Alvarez Ramirez from Cuba, for their good leadership and dedication in changing the image of the hospital. Other awardees included Madam Innocentia Anthonio, a principal nursing officer in-charge of the maternity ward, Elizabeth Kpesese, Victoria Aggor, Elizabeth Klu, Agnes Asigbe and four others. The awardees were selected through the recommendations of mothers who attended the hospital in a two-month radio phone-in programme. The queen mother of Ho-Dome and initiator of the award, Mama Attrato II, disclosed that the queen mothers two years ago planned to protest against the rate at which pregnant women were losing their lives at the facility. She, therefore, described the hospital�s feat as a great achievement, worthy of celebration and commended the midwives for turning the situation around. Mama Attrato also noted the award ceremony would be extended to other health facilities. Dr Joseph Nuertey, Volta Regional Director of Health Services, lauded the staff of the hospital for changing the hospital�s image to a facility of choice for pregnant women. He also asked them to sustain the effort to drastically minimise maternal and neonatal deaths to help the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) four and five, which seek to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality ratio by three quarters by 2015.