The Asante Akyem North Municipality Health Directorate in the Ashanti Region recorded four maternal deaths last year. However, an audit into the deaths revealed complications related to self-medication particularly the consumption of concoctions.
The Municipal Health Director, Mr. Ronald Welga-Miah who announced this at the 2021 Annual Performance Review Meeting at Agogo, cautioned pregnant women to desist from such dangerous practice, but rather comply with instructions given to them when antenatal clinic to assure safe birth.
The review meeting of the Asante Akyem North Municipal Health Directorate was meant to assess the performance of the Directorate in 2021 and to scale up strategies to improve output. It was under the theme: “Continuity of Health Services in the Midst of Covid-19: The Role of the Health Worker ”.
Issues that engaged discussions at the meeting included inadequate logistics, delays in NHIS disbursement, high neonatal death and poor road network to health facilities within the Municipality. The District Director of Health Services, Mr. Ronald Welga-Miah cautioned pregnant women against consuming unapproved herbal remedies during pregnancy and lactation. The Directorate, according to Mr. Miah, has intensified Community health outreach in the Municipality.
