Presby hospital records19 babies deaths due to lack of incubators

The Presbyterian Hospital in Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region have recorded nineteen babies deaths from January to April this year due to the lack of incubators.

The hospital has been unable to purchase new incubators after the one which was in use broke down beyond repair last year.

Helpless mothers look on as their precious ones give up because there is nothing doctors can do.

Information intercepted by spy news who paid a visit to the hospital and reports that children continue to die due to the unavailability of these equipment.

Doctors and nurses at the facility say they can no longer guarantee the lives of new born babies that will require special care.

In an attempt to reduce the deaths, officials at the facility are using what they call "improvised wooden incubators" with bulbs hanging over the babies cots on a wooden structure covered with bed sheets.

The difficulty however is that officials are unable to regulate the heat in the makeshift incubator.

They are also unable to prevent infections and control humidity in the provisional incubator.

Nurse in charge at the Pediatric Unit of the hospital Prosper Asimiah told spyGhana news that about 78 new born babies died last year as a result of the lack of incubators.

An incubator fundraising exercise held weeks ago with a target of Ghc100,000 yielded just enough to purchase one new incubator.

However Prosper Asimiah says one incubator is inadequate to cater for the hospitals needs.

He called on benevolent Ghanaians to come to the hospitals aid and save lives.