Bolgatanga, April 9, GNA - A woman who successfully carried a baby outside her womb for nine months was delivered of her child in the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital by surgery.

The baby and mother are both doing fine. A Ghanaian Gynaecologist in the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Dr Peter Baffue and a Cuban Gynaecologist, Dr Barbara Ferrcipe also working at the hospital jointly carried out the exercise. This came to light during the Annual Regional Scientific Week of Cuban Medical Staff held in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region. It was meant to review the activities undertaken by the Cuban Medical Staff in the Region, the programmes they successfully undertook, and the problems they encountered.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Dr Baffue said the pregnant woman had been in labour for three days before reporting to the hospital and the surgery turned out successful, without any effect to her and her baby. He explained that it was very rare to have a successful full term pregnancy outside the womb, saying such conditions known as ectopic usually aborts either involuntarily or by surgery when it endangers the life of the mother.

It is also not common to perform abdominal pregnancy surgical operation without the mother or the child dying, he said, adding that, "the Bolgatanga Hospital is probably the first in the country to have such success".

Some of the Cuban Doctors who are also lecturers of the University for Development Studies at the Navrongo Campus had been able to reform the Biochemistry studies to march the standard of other universities in the country.

Out of the 17 Cuban Medical Staff in the Region, eight are working in the Regional Hospital some of whom are physicians, Nurse Anaesthetists and laboratory technicians. Others are serving in the Districts.

In his opening remarks, the Regional Director of Health Dr Koku Awoonor- Williams thanked the Cuban Medical staff for their immense support to health delivery in the region. He indicated that they were contributing immensely to augment the few medical staff in the Region and noted that, had it not been for them it would have been very difficult to undertake health delivery effectively in the area.

Dr Awoonor-Williams explained that most Ghanaian doctors posted to the Region refused to report and this would have affected health delivery seriously if the Cuban Medical Staff had not been around to assist.

He appealed to the head of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Ghana to endeavour to send more personnel to the Region to augment the few Medical staff.

He suggested that Ghanaian doctors should emulate the Cubans by organizing Scientific Fora regularly, since it would help bring positive development in the health sector, emphasizing that ideas and experiences from such fora could be shared among members to enhance their work. Dr Aduko Amiah, Medical Director of the Hospital, noted that the hospital had since the 80s being benefiting from Cuban Medical Staff and commended them for their hard work. He said they would continue to collaborate with them in the health sector.

Dr Baffue the Regional Gynaecologist, expressed worry about the high incidence of uterine rupture associated with women in the Region, especially those in the overseas area. He said it was a potentially deadly complication and should not be allowed to happen.

Dr Baffue indicated that most of the victims who were not monitored at labour period were brought to the hospital in very bad conditions and said victims of such circumstances should be monitored early at the labour periods to check that anomaly. The Head of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Ghana, Mr Felip Bustillo, lamented over the shortage of health personnel in the Region, especially doctors in the three Northern Regions and said there were many of the Cuban Medical Staff posted to the southern sector who could be re-assigned to the North.

He thanked the Regional Directorate of Health Service for the way and manner the Cuban Medical Team was handled, especially providing them with accommodation. 9 April 09