SEND-GHANA, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has appealed to Government to increase its financial commitments towards investments, goods and services, which supports maternal healthcare and family planning services and not depend on donor assistance.
The NGO pointed out that there is the need for the Government to broaden its revenue base in order to have dedicated source to finance maternal healthcare, since in the event of donor withdrawal of assistance to the economy, maternal health outcomes would be seriously affected.
Mr Philip Doe Amaglo, Project Manager of Young and Lonely Foundation (YLF) made the recommendation at a stakeholder’s dialogue meeting in Cape Coast, to make known a study conducted by SEND-Ghana in 2013 on maternal health.
The meeting aimed at discussing the recommendations from the study and find ways of improving maternal health was jointly organised by SEND Ghana and YLF.
It was attended by representatives from the Regional Coordinating Council, Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, the Regional Health Directorate as well as some traditional leaders.
The study was titled: “Halting needless death of women: the need for priority investment in Maternal Healthcare delivery in Ghana.”
It was aimed at identifying the sources of funding to some district health facilities for the provision of maternal health service and to examine issues of public financial management mechanism as it pertains to budget transparency and credibility.
The study funded by STAR-Ghana, a multi-donor sponsored organisation, was conducted in health facilities in the East Mamprusi, Kpandai, Amansie West, Ejura-Sekyedumase, Agona East and Suhum, districts which fall in the three ecological zones in Ghana.
The study was also to assess the utilisation of funds for the improvement of maternal health in the six district health facilities.
Mr Amaglo said the study indicates that the health sector draws its funds from three main sources, which are Government, internally generated funds (IGF) and supports from more than 30 donors.
It said the yearly donor disbursement was not always intended for family planning and maternal healthcare interventions.
He said the study indicated that more than 90 per cent of government’s contribution to health sector overall budget was used for settling emoluments for health staff, leaving less than 10 per cent for investments.
This implies that the sector largely depend on donor support and (IGF) to implement its activities.
Mr Amaglo pointed out that the health sector budget at both national and district level are not disaggregated for spending in specific health areas therefore making it difficult to determine the specific allocations and disbursement for family planning and maternal healthcare services.
The study revealed that Agona East, Amansie West, East Mamprusi and Kpandai have no district hospital and that pregnant women have to travel long distances to access healthcare.
There is also lack of critical equipment and logistics such as ultra sound scanners, delivery beds, weighing scales, pressure machine, oxygen equipment, laboratory, blood banks and ambulance service coupled with majority of health care centres denying clients full benefits of the national health insurance scheme.
Mr Amaglo said that the study recommended that Ghana Health service (GHS) should make it mandatory for the district health directorates and health facilities to consistently use defined percentages of their IGF to support maternal healthcare.
He said there is the need for GHS and its development partners to dialogue and devise means of merging fragmented maternal health programmes and interventions for proper coordination and alignments.
He said in so doing the funds could be streamlined and properly accounted for on mutual grounds.
Mr Amaglo pointed out that there is the need for district assemblies to incorporate maternal healthcare into their medium term development plans and adequately budget to guarantee funds to promote the service in the districts.
He suggested the need for GHS to provide health facilities including Community Health Planning and Services Compounds (CHPS) and zones with the required basic logistics to enable them work effectively.
Mrs Harriet Nuamah Agyeman, SEND Ghana Programme Manager, appealed to the Regional Health Directorate to ensure that funds from Central Government are released to district health facilities early enough to enhance their work.
She also recommended that pregnant women take very good care of themselves by taking their drugs, be regular at anti natal care, watch their diet as well as make pregnancy, a matter of great concern to them.
Nana Ama Kyerema, Queen mother of Anomabo spoke against the high rate of teenage pregnancy and other related diseases in her district as well as the absence of a CHPS Compound, adding that she is prepared to donate land to that effect.
Nana Ama Amissah III, Paramount Queen mother of Mankessim, expressed worry over the negative attitude of some health personnel and appealed to the GHS to ensure that they improve upon their human relations.
Source: Ghana Districts
