The Administrator of the Keta Municipal Hospital, Mr Farouk Iddrisu, has commended the MTN Ghana Foundation for constructing and equipping a 60-bed ultra-modern maternity and child health block for the facility.
He said the intervention had significantly improved maternal and neonatal healthcare delivery since it was handed over in March 2024.
Mr Iddrisu made the remarks on Wednesday when a team from the MTN Ghana Foundation visited the hospital to familiarise itself with its operations.
He explained that the project had expanded access to quality healthcare for pregnant women, mothers and newborns, leading to increased antenatal attendance and admissions, as well as improved health outcomes. He added that it had also contributed to a reduction in maternal and neonatal deaths in the municipality and surrounding communities.
Mr Iddrisu said the facility was operating efficiently, noting that the new maternity and child health block had eased congestion and created a more conducive environment for both patients and health professionals.
He recalled that prior to the completion of the project, the maternity ward was overcrowded, forcing some expectant mothers to receive care under difficult conditions. According to him, the new 60-bed facility had addressed those challenges by providing adequate space, improved equipment and a more patient-friendly setting.
Providing some figures, Mr Iddrisu disclosed that more than 25,000 pregnant women had accessed antenatal care at the hospital over the past two years, while about 6,000 expectant mothers had been admitted for delivery and related maternal health services.
He added that maternal mortality had reduced significantly, with only four maternal deaths recorded during the period. Neonatal care had also improved, he emphasised, with more than 3,000 newborn admissions and only eight neonatal deaths recorded.
Mr Iddrisu described the project as a life-changing investment in healthcare and expressed appreciation to MTN Ghana and the MTN Ghana Foundation for their continued support.
A midwife at the hospital, Ms Mawuli Leticia Foli, also praised the foundation, describing the facility as a major boost to maternal and child healthcare services.
She said the spacious 60-bed block had enhanced service delivery by providing a more comfortable and conducive environment for both patients and staff.
Ms Foli explained that unlike the previous maternity ward, where all cases were managed in a single room, the new facility had separate wards for different conditions. This, she noted, ensured greater privacy, improved infection prevention and better quality of care.
She added that the availability of an in-house operating theatre had strengthened emergency obstetric care, as it eliminated the need to transfer patients to a distant theatre, thereby reducing delays and improving outcomes for mothers and babies.
Ms Foli again expressed gratitude to the MTN Ghana Foundation for the intervention and appealed for similar investments in other health facilities within the municipality.
A patient, Ms Rebecca Setutsi, described the new maternal and child health block as spacious, comfortable and welcoming.
She said the facility provided a relaxed atmosphere with improved amenities, including clean washrooms and adequate beds, making it feel “just like home”.
Ms Setutsi, who was visiting the facility for the first time, commended the MTN Ghana Foundation for the project, citing that the new ward was a significant improvement on the previous facility and would enhance the comfort and care of mothers and their babies.
FROM EUGENE AMPIAW, KETA
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