Let's curb teenage pregnancies in Gomoa West – Dr Ofori Yeboah

Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Gomoa West District Director of Ghana Health Service, has appealed to the assembly, chiefs and queen-mothers to find a way of curbing teenage pregnancy in the district.

He said in 2012, 762 teenage pregnancies were recorded out of which 17 were between the ages of 10 and 14.

Dr Yeboah made the appeal at the Annual Health Performance Review meeting at Apam, to enable the health workers to take stock of their performances, short-comings and map-out strategies to improve them.

He expressed concern about the behaviour of some pregnant women who still prefer delivery at home to health facilities under qualified health personnel.

He said out-patients department (OPD) attendance in the district in 2012 was 65,367, and the key diseases recorded included malaria, respiratory tract infections, skin diseases, anaemia, hypertension and pregnancy related implications.

Dr Yeboah said the district had recorded no cholera, which used to be prevalent in the district, for the last five years.

Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, District Chief Executive, said the assembly had constructed Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHIPS) Compound at Abonko, Brifo, Mumford and Kyiren Nkwanta; and nurses quarters at Dago.

It has extended electricity to Dago Health Centre and nurses quarters and also provided furniture and chemical equipment to the Dago Health Centre.

Dr Mark Nii Lamptey, Manager of the Gomoaman Health Insurance Scheme, said 22,072 people made up of 6,318 males and 15,754 females, registered with the scheme in 2012, adding that active membership of the scheme was 40,768.

He said the scheme had realised 1,781,976.08 and that premium fetched 76,459 processing fee being 77,744.00 and salaries amounting to 87,868.09.

Dr Lamptey said total payment made to claimants amounted to 1,293,566.09 Ghana cedis out of which 373,879.00 Ghana cedis went to the in-patient department and OPD had 1,699,246.19, whilst 15,531.63 went into deductions.

Mr Francis Yawson, Administrator of St Luke Catholic Hospital, said the hospital administration had decided to conduct regular checks of the health of staff to enable it to detect their health conditions in time for treatment.

He said the measure was to check sudden death of the staff caused by hidden ailments.