The Ashanti Regional Health Administration says, it is adopting measures to bring down the incidence of maternal deaths, which continues to be a major headache to the health professionals.

This involves strengthening the emergency obstetric readiness of facilities, total team work, tackling poor referral practices, poor quality medicines and poor attitudes among some of the health professionals.

Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, Regional Health Director, made this known at the annual performance review meeting of the directorate in Kumasi.

He said over 80 per cent of those deaths was completely avoidable. They as well re-assured the people that they were determined to make a decisive push to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health.

The number of maternal deaths recorded in the region, last year, stood at 200, as compared with 181 in 2012.

Bleeding after delivery, eclampsia, abortion and ectopic were the main causes.

The two-day meeting involving presentations by the Regional Health Directorate, selected District Health Directorates and hospitals, was held under the theme; “Strengthening collaboration in achieving millennium development goals (MDGs) four and five by 2015”.

The annual event provides the platform to assess achievements, identify shortfalls, set new targets and adopt best practices to improve the quality of health care services to the people.

Dr Nang-Beifubah complained about inadequate critical health staff, including doctors, midwives, anaesthetists and physicians. Adding that, only eight out of 18 doctors posted to the region in 2013, reported.

He announced plans to upgrade the Kumasi South Hospital to regional status “this would happen within the year.”

Over 300 Directors of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Health Ministry, Senior Health Managers, Heads of Health Training Institutions, development partners, NGOs in health, chiefs and religious leaders attended.