BLOOD SHORTAGE IN KUMASI

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The Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health Services, Dr. Kwasi Yeboah-Awudzi says even though the incidence of maternal deaths in healthcare facilities in the metropolis reduced between 2013 and last year, there is an urgent need for all stakeholders in healthcare to help address the problem of blood shortage that is seriously undermining maternal health.

 Out of the 33 thousand, 469 expectant women who delivered at health facilities in the metropolis in 2013, 137 died. 

The number reduced to 121 last year from the total of 38 thousand, 662 pregnant women who gave birth at hospitals. 

According to Dr. Yeboah-Awudzi, in spite of the reduced number of maternal deaths last year, inadequate blood supply for emergency cases, particularly for bleeding women during labour is part of the major causes of the deaths of expectant mothers.

 He said currently, most of the Blood Banks in the metropolis are short of blood supply while members of the public have become indifferent towards voluntary blood donation for which reason the Blood Banks in the smaller health facilities are running out of blood for emergency care. 

Touching on funding for the hospitals, the Metro Health Director disclosed that the inability of the National Health Insurance Authority to pay the Claims of the healthcare providers in the last eight months, the 10 government hospitals in Kumasi alone are owed as much as two billion Ghana Cedis as a result of which patients now have to pay for their medication. 

This is because the medical suppliers of the hospitals are refusing to do business with the hospitals in view of the huge indebtedness. 

The situation, according to him, is seriously hampering accessible and quality healthcare to the people and therefore called on the central government to reconsider funding for the sustainability of the NHIA in the interest of the people.

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