The Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has taken delivery of twenty-two tricycle ambulances and 73 Haemocue (blood testing) machines for distribution to six deprived districts in the Region.
The beneficiary districts are Bongo, Binduri, Nabdam, Kassena Nankana Municipality, Pusiga and Talensi.
The facilities were provided by the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) with support from the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) at an estimated cost of GH¢ 1 million.
The package includes the provision of communication gadgets and training for the riders of the Tricycles, midwives and other health staff in the beneficiary health facilities who would be using the Haemocue machines.
It was provided under the Maternal, New-Born and Child Health Project (MNCH) being implemented in the six beneficiary districts.
The tricycle ambulances would enable pregnant mothers and new born babies suffering from emergency health cases and referred to bigger health facilities to be conveyed to those health centres in a timely manner to prevent deaths and complications.
On the other hand, the Haemocue machines would help improve on Haemoglobin (Oxygen carrying capacity of blood) testing of pregnant mothers suspected to be anaemic in health centres in the six beneficiary districts.
Addressing the handing over ceremony at Bolgatanga on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, the Swiss Red Cross Country Coordinator, Mr. Thomas Okollah observed that since 2014, the organization had supported the MNCH project in the Upper East Region with the GRCS as the implementing agency.
He explained that the project was designed to use community volunteers organized into Ghana Red Cross Mothers’ Clubs which had complemented government’s efforts in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in the beneficiary districts.
He further observed that this limited access to health facilities contributed to “unpredictable pregnancy outcomes and negatively impacted maternal and child health”.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Miss Tangoba Abayage in a speech read on her behalf, expressed gratitude to the GRCS and the SRC for playing a key role in reducing maternal and child mortality in the beneficiary districts.
Source:Fiilafmonline/Graphic
