Maternal mortality has risen at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for the year 2023 compared to the previous year. The hospital for the year under review witnessed maternal deaths increasing from 719 per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 1210 per 100,000 live births last year.
Chief Executive Officer of the facility, Dr Adam Atiku who made the disclosure in an address during the 2023 Annual Performance Review last week said notwithstanding this specialist OPD attendance recorded an increased from 29000 in 2021 to Over 50, 000 in 2023.
He added similar improvements were seen on other key performance indicators except for maternal mortality which unfortunately recorded an increase from 719 per 100 000 live births to 1210 per 100 000 live births.
“This is a major concern to us, and we have taken pragmatic step with the Ghana Health Service to work out modalities to reduce our maternal mortality rate” he announced.
OPD Attendance
Dr Atiku said, “Even though we are a tertiary facility, we attend to a large number of patients with primary health problems. A polyclinic was thus created to cater for the need of those clients, since then TTH has been recording increases in OPD attendance from just over 79000 in 2021 to over 180000 in 2023.”
He noted over the years, especially since the facility was upgraded to a teaching Hospital, giant strides have been made in all areas under their tripartite mission of providing quality tertiary healthcare, supporting training of health professionals and the conduct of research.
“This occasion provides us with a valuable opportunity as internal and external stakeholders to reflect on our holistic performance for 2023, as well as review and critique our achievements, challenges, and the path ahead as we continue our journey towards excellence in healthcare delivery” he stated.
He asserted at the time it was upgraded to a tertiary hospital in 2008/2009 had less than 200 beds and a staff strength of less than 300, indicating only basic services in the areas of obstetrics and gyanaecology, general surgery, as well as basic medical services were provided.
He emphasized medical students from the University for Development Studies (UDS) School of Medicine had to undertake their clinical rotations in Korle bu and KATH, because the TTH did not have both the human and infrastructural resources to train medical doctors.
Nonetheless, the CEO happily reported that the major referral center in the Northern part of the country is now 812 bed-capacity facility with over 3,500 staff proving specialised and sub-specialty medical services to clients. Additionally, he said specialist doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals in all medical specialties are now being trained at the hospital.
