Midwives call for improved health system

Midwives in the Ashanti region have called on government to as a matter of urgency address the challenges confronting nurses and midwives in health care delivery.

According to them, if government improves on the quality of health care delivered to Ghanaians through the resourcing of health facilities, quality healthcare will be assured.

The appeal, was helmed by the President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, Mrs. Netta Forson Ackon, at an event to mark the 27th International Day of the Midwife in Kumasi on Saturday, May 5,2018.

Mrs Ackon in her appeal described the situation as disturbing, citing poorly resourced health facilities, poor remuneration and delay in payment of NHIS claims.

She stated that “midwives are working in poorly resourced health facilities under very poor conditions at all levels of health care delivery,” which needed government’s intervention.

She continued that sometimes, midwifes, left with “little or no support” “have to function independently” to bring hope and love to mothers and their babies, adding that “Midwives do more than deliver babies”

She also bemoaned the difficulty in procuring health consumables and equipment to help them work effectively, and asked the government to immediately rectify that anomaly.

In her speech, the Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah assured that government was poised to tackle the challenges confronting the health sector of the country.

The Ghana Health Service, the Minister added, will employ all midwives awaiting employment to all health facilities including all Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) zones to enhance accessibility of midwifery services.

“The Ghana Health Service through the implementation of CHPS is moving a step ahead to deploy midwives at every CHP zone…I wish to therefore assure you that the government of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is poised in providing an enabling environment for midwives to develop their full potentials,” she explained.

The Minister also disclosed the Finance Minister is set to release funds to enable the clearance and posting of unemployed nurses and midwives.

“In view of this, steps have been taken to ensure financial clearance for all nurses and midwives who are awaiting posting,” Madam Mensah stated.

She also charged them to pursue higher education to boost their expertise to confront challenges they encounter.

This year’s event was on the theme: “Midwives; leading the way to quality care”.