Sunyani: SDA Hospital Operates With One Delivery Bed; Begs For Help

The quest of the SDA Hospital at Sunyani in the Bono Region to achieve the UN SDG 3 by reducing maternal and infant mortality is facing many challenges as it operates with one delivery bed. The Maternity and Neonatal Units are stressed up because of inadequate equipment.The SDA Hospital in Sunyani is a preferred destination for expectant mothers as well as mothers of babies with special medical needs.

Apart from this, most sick people patronize the services of the hospital.The facility recorded 68,868 patients at its Out Patient Department in 2019.It also recorded two maternal deaths and two neonatal deaths in the same year. However, despite the success chalked, the hospital’s quest to provide quality health care to reduce maternal and infant mortality is facing many challenges.The maternity unit recorded 1,087 deliveries in 2019.

Interestingly there is only one delivery bed and one monitor at this Unit which is a major headache for management and patients alike.Nurses at the unit are always under pressure to save the lives of expectant mothers and their babies.

The Head of the maternity unit of the hospital, Lilian Korsah in an interview said, “We have so many deliveries coming in at a time. Sometimes we would have five clients in labour all of them would be in active labour and we have only one delivery bed.

They all need to be comfortable on the bed for safe delivery. Some are being challenged to deliver on the floor on the first stage bed but ideally, that should not be the situation. We urgently need delivery beds.”

According to statistics from the Neonatal Unit, Neonatal Jaundice makes up 20 percent of neonatal cases recorded at the facility.In 2019 there were 255 neonatal admissions out of which 52 were Neonatal Jaundice making treatment a major challenge.The Phototherapy machine meant to treat Neonatal Jaundice is also not functioning properly.

The Doctor in charge of the unit, Dr. Elijah Abakah-Quansah said the Phototherapy Machine at the Unit is not working properly so it takes a long time to treat babies with Jaundice.He noted that there are at times two babies have to be put in one Photo-therapy which is not the best practice.

The Neonatal Unit would also need an oxygen concentrator, firefly for treating Jaundice, radiant warmer, patient monitor, incubator, transcutaneous bilichek and more delivery beds. Medical Director of the facility, Dr Charles Wiredu Oppong says there are plans to expand the facilities at the Hospital but hinted that they are currently financially constrained