The Government of Korea under the Korea International Cooperation Agency Community-based Health Planning and Services (KOICA CHPS) has donated fifty motor king ambulances to the Upper East Region Health Directorate to improve maternal and neonatal care.
Beneficiary facilities of the ambulances include the Regional health directorate, district hospitals, health centers and CHPS compounds.
Speaking at a handing over ceremony in Bolgatanga, Country Director of KOICA, Yukyum Kim said, the ambulances are equipped with emergency health care accessories to transport referral cases especially maternal health-related case from rural communities to higher level facilities.
“Emergency cases may quickly turn into deaths when a patient is not brought to the next referral point timely or if the referral facility is not equipped to handle such case.
It is against this background that, we believe the donation of the ambulances will eventually improve maternal and child health indicators and eliminate or drastically reduce maternal and neonatal mortalities in the region”.
For his part, Upper East Regional director of health services Dr. Winfred Ofosu said, the ambulances will support avert substantial maternal and child deaths by facilitating quicker transport to pregnant women, newborns and other critically ill people to health facilities for appropriate care.
Citing the deaths of a pregnant woman and a newborn three weeks ago due to lack of means of transport, Dr. Ofosu was optimistic that, the ambulances would further avert maternal and neonatal deaths.
He also pledged to maintain the ambulances to prolong their longevity for the delivery of health-care in the area.
Acting Upper East Regional Minister, Frank Fuseini Adongo commended KOICA for complementing government’s efforts in the improvement of maternal and newborn care with the provision of medical logistics.
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Source: Citinewsroom.com
