The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for pragmatic and urgent measures to address maternal mortality in Ghana, describing the death of women during childbirth as unacceptable in this day and age.
Otumfuo made the call when the Deputy Minister for Health, Hon. Dr. Grace Ayensu Danquah paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on the second day of her official tour of the Ashanti Region.
The Asantehene commended the Deputy Minister for her efforts under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (M-MARP), and expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to tackle the persistent challenge of maternal deaths.
He said it was unacceptable for women to go to health facilities to deliver and fail to return home alive, stressing the need for health professionals, particularly doctors and other frontline health workers, to play their part in preventing avoidable maternal deaths. He cautioned against negligence in the provision of maternal healthcare and urged health workers to demonstrate commitment and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
Otumfuo also called on pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly and follow the advice of health professionals, noting that timely access to antenatal and skilled care could help identify and address complications before they become life-threatening.
The Asantehene further encouraged the Deputy Minister to pursue the M-MARP initiative with urgency, describing it as a vital intervention that must be effectively implemented in the interest of the Ghanaian people.
The Deputy Minister is in the Ashanti Region as part of a tour aimed at engaging key stakeholders and health facilities on strategies to strengthen maternal healthcare services and accelerate efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
