General News of Sunday, 19 April 2015

Source: GNA

Doctor worried about negative criticisms of health personnel

Dr George Kwame Prah, Medical Superintendent of the Winneba Municipal Government Hospital has warned residents of Winneba to stop the negative comments about health personnel in the area.

He explained that such behaviour demoralized efforts of health officers, and could also undermine quality health care delivery.

Dr Prah gave the warning when he spoke to the Media in reaction to a rumour that a pregnant woman Madam Rose Gyabeng and her baby who died at the hospital last week, was due to the negligence of doctors and nurses on duty at that time.

According to Dr Prah, the pregnant woman and her baby did not die as a result of alleged “manhandling by a doctor and nurses at the hospital.”

He said the pregnant woman did not tell the truth about her health status during her ante-natal period when she visited the health facility to deliver.

Dr Prah said the woman did not attend Winneba Hospital during her pregnant period, and when she was in labour and was rushed to the hospital to deliver, her history indicated that she had undergone three surgical operations during her three deliveries.

He said instead for this pregnant woman to attend Winneba Municipal Hospital to enable doctors and nurses to monitor her, she completely refused, and when her health condition deteriorated during labour, the relatives then rushed her to the hospital.

The Medical Superintendent said doctors and nurses at the hospital found it very difficult to trace her history to enable them offer the necessary assistance, and she did not tell the doctors and nurses about the operations she underwent during the delivery of her three children, and that mainly caused her death and that of her baby.

Dr Prah said the Winneba Municipal Hospital was not happy about the death of the pregnant woman because the facility is trying to avoid maternal deaths this year.

He appealed to patients and their relatives to adhere to medical advice on health.

“It is unfortunate that some residents fail to cross-check their facts from the authorities of the facility before passing negative judgments on doctors, nurses and paramedical staff.”

Dr Prah said no medical officer and nurse would be happy to cause the death of any patient, adding that doctors and nurses were trained to safe lives.

He said the hospital had intensified public education on the need to attend hospital rather than seeking self medication which can harm their health.