The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICu) at the SDA Hospital in Sunyani is calling on stakeholders in the health sector to as a matter of urgency come to their aid in providing them with the needed equipment at the unit to help give quality delivery services to expectant mothers and their babies.
According to Lilian Korsah, the Head of the Maternity Block, the unit has only one delivery bed, one patient monitor which is a challenge to them hence the need for stakeholders to come to their aid to enhance safe delivery.
Madam Lilian Korsah revealed this in an interview with Radio Ghana’s Daniel Donkor.
The SDA Hospital in Sunyani of the Bono region, which is patronised by many, is the preferred destination for most pregnant women and nursing mothers because of the quality of its services. The facility which recorded 68,868 patients at its Out Patient Department in 2019 despite successes chalked is faced with several challenges at the Neonatal Unit.
A visit to the facility revealed that the Neonatal Unit needs an oxygen concentrator, firefly for treating Jaundice, radiant warmer, patient monitor, incubator, transcutaneous bilichek, delivery beds and a Photo-therapy Machine.
According to statistics from the Neonatal Unit, the maternity unit recorded 1,087 deliveries in 2019 with Neonatal Jaundice making up 20 percent of neonatal cases recorded at the facility.
In 2019, there were 255 neonatal admissions out of which 52 were Neonatal Jaundice and this translate into making treatment a major challenge at the facility. The Phototherapy machine meant to treat Neonatal Jaundice is not functioning properly. The situation has compelled nurses at the unit to put in more efforts to save lives of babies and their mothers.
The Head of the Unit, Lilian Korsah tells Radio Ghana that when the pressure is high, they are compelled to do delivery on the floor due to the lack of delivery beds.
The Doctor in charge of the Unit, Dr. Elijah Abakah-Quansah, said due to the malfunctioning of the Phototherapy Machine at the Unit, it is sometimes difficult to treat babies with Jaundice.
The Medical Director of the facility, Dr Charles Wiredu Oppong, for his part said management of the hospital has plans to expand the facility but due financial constraints they are unable to do so.
Story filed by Daniel Donkor.