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26th April, 2012
Consultant Worried About High Mortality Rate In Ghana
A Consultant Paediatric at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Professor Afua Hesse has expressed worry about the increasing maternal mortality rate in the country and said the state must move away from the rhetoric and initiate concrete strategies to curb the menace.
She said women who bring forth life should not die through delivery and all stakeholders must help to address maternal mortality.
Professor Hesse, who is also the President Medical Women’s International Association said this to an answer a question on the country could deal with maternal mortality cases in the country at the 50 anniversary public lecture of the of the UGMS in Accra on Wednesday.
She said maternal mortality was big and multi-faceted and needed comprehensive strategies to tackle to tackle the problem.
“In fact, there is not magic wand to addressing maternal mortality. It needs the support of all who are involved in health care delivery as well as the government to make it a thing of the past,” Professor Hesse stated.
Speaking on the topic “Women in Medicine in Ghana,” the Consultant Paediatric lamented about the low female presentation at the UGMS.
She said out of the 2741 doctors who had been trained at the UGMS only 634 are women.
Professor Hesse the quota system would not address the few women pursuing medicine if the gird child was not encouraged to pursue science as the basic level of education.
She explained that women who pursued science to the university level was low and that accounted for the few women pursuing medicine at the medical school.
“From the time the UGMS was established to now, the statistics of women pursuing medicine has been low,” he said.
Professor Hesse said the few women who had graduated from the UGMS is doing extremely well in public service, police, politics and private practice and was helping promote the development of the country.
In politics, she mentioned Dr Mrs Mary Grant, the former PNDC Secretary for Health who did well to promote quality healthcare delivery inthe country.
Professor Hesse entreated women not to shy away from science but take interest in the subject and pursue it to the highest level as being done by their male counterparts.
Outlining some of the challenges facing the UGMS, The Consultant Paediatric mentioned brain-drain of doctors and called on government put better incentives in place for doctors to stay and work in the country.
On the successes chalked by the school, Professor Hesse said the UGMS had helped to train so many doctors locally, who are contributing immensely to the development of the country.
The Dean of the Dental Medical School, Professor Grace Perkins who chaired the programme, called on society to change their perception medicine was a preserve of women.
She said women who bring forth life should not die through delivery and all stakeholders must help to address maternal mortality.
Professor Hesse, who is also the President Medical Women’s International Association said this to an answer a question on the country could deal with maternal mortality cases in the country at the 50 anniversary public lecture of the of the UGMS in Accra on Wednesday.
She said maternal mortality was big and multi-faceted and needed comprehensive strategies to tackle to tackle the problem.
“In fact, there is not magic wand to addressing maternal mortality. It needs the support of all who are involved in health care delivery as well as the government to make it a thing of the past,” Professor Hesse stated.
Speaking on the topic “Women in Medicine in Ghana,” the Consultant Paediatric lamented about the low female presentation at the UGMS.
She said out of the 2741 doctors who had been trained at the UGMS only 634 are women.
Professor Hesse the quota system would not address the few women pursuing medicine if the gird child was not encouraged to pursue science as the basic level of education.
She explained that women who pursued science to the university level was low and that accounted for the few women pursuing medicine at the medical school.
“From the time the UGMS was established to now, the statistics of women pursuing medicine has been low,” he said.
Professor Hesse said the few women who had graduated from the UGMS is doing extremely well in public service, police, politics and private practice and was helping promote the development of the country.
In politics, she mentioned Dr Mrs Mary Grant, the former PNDC Secretary for Health who did well to promote quality healthcare delivery inthe country.
Professor Hesse entreated women not to shy away from science but take interest in the subject and pursue it to the highest level as being done by their male counterparts.
Outlining some of the challenges facing the UGMS, The Consultant Paediatric mentioned brain-drain of doctors and called on government put better incentives in place for doctors to stay and work in the country.
On the successes chalked by the school, Professor Hesse said the UGMS had helped to train so many doctors locally, who are contributing immensely to the development of the country.
The Dean of the Dental Medical School, Professor Grace Perkins who chaired the programme, called on society to change their perception medicine was a preserve of women.
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