One institutional infant death was recorded in Effutu Municipal Government Hospital, in Winneba in 2015 against 3 in 2014 and 8 in 2013.

Mr Emmanuel K. Gyamfi, Administrator of the Hospital, said this during the 2015 Annual Performance Review Meeting held in Winneba.

He said during the year under review, the facility again recorded one maternal death which was as a result of a late referral from one of the sub-health facilities in the Municipality.

“It is not the best in accordance to the ethics of the profession and health facilities need to refer cases above their jurisdictions early to avoid the occurrences of such uncalled for deaths”, he said.

He said malaria deaths among children under five was also reduced from 15 in 2013, 4 in 2014 and to zero in 2015, while institutional infant deaths also reduced from 8 in 2013, and 3 in 2014 to 1 in 2015.

Mr Gyamfi said the decline in malaria deaths among children under five years of age and the institutional infant deaths came about due to masseuses employed by management of the hospital.

He said Out Patient Department (OPD) attendants declined from 64,608 in 2014 to 59,974 in 2015 adding that insured patients under the National Health Insurance Scheme increased slightly from 50,518 in 2013; 53,127 in 2014; to 53,261 in 2015.

Mr Gyamfi said the facility recorded a total of 2,198 deliveries in 2015 against 2,469 in 2014 while Still Births also reduced from 95 in 2014 to 58 in 2015.

He said HIV Positive cases diagnosed in the facility increased from 31 in 2014 to 35 in 2015.

He said malaria still tops the 10 causes of OPD Morbidity with 18,806 cases in 2015 representing 29.6 percent; followed by Anemia with 13,703 representing 21 percent; URTI 7,371, Pregnancy and related complications 5,879, Skin Diseases and Ulcers 4, 874, Hypertension 4,030, Intestinal Worms 3,243, Acute Eye infections 2,099, Dental Caries 1,826 and Gynecology conditions at the last position with 1, 716 cases in 2015, he said

He said poor financial inflow, late NHIS reimbursement, inadequate supplies due to lack of funds, congestion at OPDs, unhealthy staff attitudes and difficulty in getting ambulance for referral as some of challenges that confronts the facility.

He appealed to corporate bodies, the Assembly and philanthropist to come to the aid of the facility in order to overcome their challenges.