Medical equipment for Wa Health Centre

Accra, Oct. 9, GNA - Benco Hospitex Company Limited, dealers in medical and surgical equipment, on Friday presented medical equipment worth GHC10, 000 to the Wa Municipal Health Centre.

The equipment included, drip stands, digital weighing scales, stethoscopes, delivery set, sterilizing drums, screens, blood pressure monitors and dressing sets.

Making the presentation in Accra, Mr. David Amoako, General Manager of the Company, said it formed part of the company's social responsibility to help reduce maternal mortality in the region and also assist the vulnerable in society.

He said the responsibility of ensuring quality healthcare delivery in the country should not be the duty of government alone but a shared responsibility.

Dr. Elias Sory, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, who received the equipment, said maternal mortality still remained a major challenged to the health sector despite various interventions put in place by the service.

He said the national maternal mortality survey for 2007 had revealed that for every 100,000 live births, 451 women die as against 378 in 2006. Dr Sory said the country was working hard towards reducing the rates of maternal mortality, infant mortality and under-five mortality to meet the Millennium Development Goals targets by 2015. He said there was the need for the improvement of skilled delivery since countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Egypt had adopted a system, which had led to 85 per cent reduction in maternal mortality within a 40-year period.

Dr Sory said the situation had improved slightly as 96 per cent of all pregnant women in the country visited the hospital at least once for antenatal care. He thanked the donor for the gesture and called on corporate bodies to help make the nation free from maternal mortality.