Teenage pregnancy cases increase

The Mankessim Health Centre recorded a total of 335 teenage pregnancy cases last year, as compared to 217 cases in the previous year.

A Senior Physician Assistant at the health centre, Mrs Mercy Antwi- Boasiako, who announced this, described the situation as serious and said the cases involved girls aged 10 to 19.

Mrs Antwi- Boasiako was addressing a day’s annual performance review meeting of the Mfantseman Municipal Health Directorate in Saltpond.

The meeting was attended by both medical and non-medical members of staff of the Anomabo, Dominase, Biriwa and Saltpond/Kormantse sub-districts, Mankessim Sub Municipal, Saltpond Hospital, Mercy Women Centre, Municipal Ambulance Service and  Mfantseman Mutual Health Insurance.

She said though the health centre intensified education on teenage pregnancy in the year under review, the increase suggested that more should be done to reduce the numbers this year.

Mrs Antwi -Boasiako said the antenatal attendance shot up to 11,121 last year, as against 6,454 in the previous year, adding that 2, 672 of the number was screened for Hepatitis B and 22 were diagnosed with anaemia.

She said 341 deliveries were recorded at the facility last year and attributed the effort to teamwork and improved human relation, adding that 361 husbands and male relatives were in the delivery suite during deliveries.

The senior physician assistant said malaria topped the list of the 10 top diseases recorded at the Mankessim Health Centre, with an increase of 7,076, as against 5,371 in the previous year, adding that malaria cases among children under five also increased from 1,815 in 2012 to 3,798.

She said 26 persons, made up of 14 males and 12 females, were diagnosed with tuberculosis, out of which one died, while 16 were still receiving treatment.

Mrs Antwi-Boasiako said two males and two females were diagnosed with HIV and were referred to the Saltpond Hospital for the management of the condition.

In another development, health authorities have described the increased cases of teenage pregnancy in the Mampong Municipality “very worrying.”

Available statistics show that 349 girls aged 10 to 16 became pregnant last year.

The Mampong Municipal Health Director, Mr Jacob Amoah, made this known at an annual health performance meeting attended by health workers, heads of departments, chiefs, assembly and Unit Committee members.

Mr Amoah said there was an urgent need to step up reproductive health education, particularly among adolescents.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders, including health professionals, parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders, to work together to halt the disturbing trend of sexual adventurism associated with young people.

According to him, the municipality recorded four maternal deaths and 73 stillbirths last year.

He attributed the cause of the deaths to lack of some essential drugs, and appealed to the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to act quickly to address the issue.

The Medical Superintendent, Mampong Government Hospital, Dr Kwadwo Nyarko-Jectey, complained about the insurance capitation in the region and said it was crippling healthcare services at the facility.

He called for its immediate suspension to enable patients to access quality care.