Two health facilities benefit from Neo-natal Intensive care services in the U/E

21-02-14  

Dep Dir Health Services, Mr Lucio Dery

The Upper East Region under a Korean funded project has benefited from the establishment of Neo-natal Intensive Care Services at two major health facilities in the region. They are the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and the War Memorial hospital at Navrongo. The facilities have been stocked with the necessary tools and equipment, whilst staff had received training to sharpen their skills. The Director of Administration and support services at the Regional Health Directorate, Lucio Dery made the disclosure at a  stakeholder’s workshop on essential new born care in Bolgatanga. The initiative which has two components and covers districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions has the Korean International Co-operation and UNICEF as its funding agencies. Mr Dery announced that the health sector in the region was keen to ensuring the survival of new born babies especially in their first 28 years of life. In the light of this, the region has engineered numerous interventions such as the Kangaroo mother care to reduce high infant mortality. He said performance results achieved under neo-natal care services had shown that babies born with low birth rate  that were suppose to die had survived and this has been a continuous trend for the past three years. Mr Dery commended the invaluable role of the various health service providers particularly midwives and community health officers and charged them to intensify their activities and enhance their follow up visit on new born babies. He said new born care services still leaves much to be desired considering the increasing rate of neo-natal and child mortality. He however challenged major stakeholders to step up their effort and support the available new born base interventions to help accelerate the pace towards achieving Millennium Development Goal four, MDG4. The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister,Daniel Syme, challenged key stakeholders involved in the project implementation to collaborate and establish critical linkages to avoid power and personality conflicts. He also urged the various assemblies to embrace the project and work to bring quality health care delivery to the doorstep of the people in the region and beyond.

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