TBAs advised to refer cases beyond their scope to hospitals

Ejisu (Ash), Jan 9, GNA- Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) have been advised to desist from handling deliveries of women giving birth to babies for the first time as well as those who have delivered before but through caesarean operation.

Miss Lydia Owusu-Ansah, Public Health Nurse in-charge of Ejisu, said such cases should never be experimented with but should be promptly referred to hospitals for handling in view of the risk associated with them.

Miss Owusu-Ansah gave the advice when she addressed a one-day workshop on safe motherhood organised by the Ejisu-Juaben District Health Service at Ejisu in Ashanti on Wednesday. TBAs and Village Health Committee (VHC) members from 30 communities and Queen mothers of the Ejisu traditional area attended the workshop.

The workshop was designed to discuss and adopt innovative strategies that could be collectively applied by the TBAs, VHC and Queen mothers to help reduce the rate of maternal deaths in the district. She also advised TBAs not to limit themselves to delivery only but also educate and direct mothers to report at antenatal clinics two weeks after delivery and make make follow-ups to ascertain the health of the mother and baby.

Miss Helen Fosu, acting Ejisu-Juaben District Director of Health Services, was not happy that even though attending antenatal clinic was vital in the safety and good health of pregnant mothers, many of them do not attend the clinics.

She noted that most of the maternal deaths occur as a result of the victim's failure to attend antenatal clinics and stressed the need for all pregnant mothers not only to attend such clinics but also abide by the counselling they receive at the clinics.

Nana Yaa Asantewaa II, Queenmother of Ejisu, said as mothers, they were prepared to encourage pregnant women not only to attend antenatal clinics but also post-natal clinics.