GAEC Clinic builds Maternity Block

A Maternity Block for the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Clinic at Kwabenya in Accra has been inaugurated.

It has a labour ward, a lying-in ward, doctors’ and nurses’ resting rooms and an area for antenatal clinic.

The block was constructed at a cost of GH¢579,661.83 

With the maternity block now available, the GAEC Clinic will be able to provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care services, particularly for pregnant women within the Kwabenya catchment area.

Inaugurating the building yesterday, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, said there was the need for healthcare institutions in the country to join forces to reduce maternal mortality in the country.

In 2008, the management of the GAEC Clinic introduced the antenatal school as a friendly atmosphere aimed at educating pregnant women on how to care for their health needs, but because of the absence of a maternity block, most pregnant women, especially those with seven-month-old pregnancies, were referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and other government hospitals.

Dr Oteng-Adjei said until effective measures were put in place, it would be difficult for Ghana to achieve one of the targets of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing maternal mortality.

He said although Ghana was actively working towards reducing maternal mortality to 150 per 100,000 live births by 2015, more needed to be done by all stakeholders to achieve that result.

He said as part of efforts at achieving the MDG on maternal mortality, the government had launched the maternal health channel series on television.

“It is aimed at complementing concerted national efforts to inform, educate and stimulate interest in maternal health issues,” he said.

He lauded the management GAEC for the effort in constructing a maternity building for its staff and residents of Kwabenya and urged pregnant women to patronise the clinic.

In his welcome address, the Director-General of GAEC, Professor Benjamin Jabez Botwe Nyarko, said the increasing workload, especially of maternal health patients attending the clinic, inspired the management to undertake the expansion work.

He said despite the financial challenges faced by the clinic, the management of GAEC was able to use its internally generated funds for the construction of the maternity block for the clinic.

“It is our desire to construct wards, introduce dental, paediatric, dermatological and physician specialist services for our cherished clients,” he said.

Prof. Nyarko said as part of the core function of GAEC, it was putting up a facility for the Radiological and Medical Science Research Institute (RAMSRI).

Story: Dominic Moses Awiah