Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo has commissioned the refurbished Osu Government Maternity home which has been upgraded into a modern facility.
The facility was renovated by the Rebecca Foundation with support from the Chinese government.
A full rewiring of the faculty to solve the challenge of power leakages, low load capacity and the danger of old exposed cables was part of the renovation.
LED lights, inverter split air-conditioning units have also been installed round the building to reduce the power consumption of the Home.
The theatre now has four delivery beds in addition to two new antenatal focus consulting rooms.
The lying-in-ward has been fully renovated with new hospital beds, bed side tables and new glass access doors.
A new placenta pit has been installed at the Home for a hygienic disposal of placenta.
Also a new emergency ambulance has been provided for referral and emergency cases which previously resulted in the loss of lives of mother and child.
The 89 year Home, prior to the renovation works, was left at the mercy of management, staff and insufficient resources to sustain the facility.
The result has been that of deteriorating equipment and low staff motivation.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo, who is the President of the Foundation, said the renovated maternity Home can now attend to the increasing number of delivery cases as a result of a growing population without compromising the quality of care given to expecting mothers.
She said a new sterilisation room and nurses room has been created to ameliorate working conditions for nurses.
“The facility now also includes improved interconnecting corridors, refurbished clinical laboratory, clinical pharmacy, office spaces and Matron’s office” she added.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo said the lying-in wards would also allow medical personnel to properly monitor expecting mothers who come to the facility.
She expressed her gratitude to organizations and individuals who support her Foundation while reiterating the Foundation’s determination to supplement the work of government to improve healthcare service access and delivery.
“We will continue along that path, she said.
Already the Rebecca Foundation has constructed a fully equipped Maternity, Neo-natal Intensive care and Paediatric Intensive care units at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, under its Community Health Outreach Initiative.
Expressing their appreciation to he Rebecca Foundation, Matron of the Osu Maternity Home, Ella Hansen-Owoo, said the timing of the renovation and commissioning could not have been better.
She said for years, management of the Osu Maternity Home have been soliciting funds to replace worn out hospital equipment and provide advanced medical gadgets to improve on health delivery to the people, with little success.
She said an appeal to the First Lady’s office received a favorable response and “Today we are elated to join her to commission a well-equipped maternity home to provide all medical services needed to ensure safe delivery of our pregnant mothers and sisters, and ensure the safety of our new babies”.
