By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Dec 16, GNA – The Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has reviewed its support to healthcare facilities in the Upper East Region for quality service delivery.
The NGO from 2009 till date provided opportunities for rural people to get involved in the development and management of Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds to enhance quality health care delivery in the region.
It adopted strategies to accelerate maternal and child health service delivery in six Municipalities and Districts in the Region, namely the Bolgatanga, Bawku, Builsa North and Kassena-Nankana Municipalities, Bolgatanga East and Talensi Districts.
Among them included effective community mobilization to conscientise community members on need to take Ante-Natal Care services seriously, encourage family support for expectant mothers, and ensured that no expectant mother delivered at home.
Dr Joseph Ayembilla, Board Chairman of PARDA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the review meeting in Bolgatanga, said PARDA with support from Oxfam Ghana had over the years worked together to improve maternal and child health in Ghana.
He said the meeting, which brought together Ghana Health Service Directors, midwives, Community Volunteers from the beneficiary Districts among other stakeholders, would enable them take stock of their activities and strategize to improve on them.
“So this workshop actually is to look at the strategies that we are using, see how effective they are, and those that are very good, we document them and scale-up to other regions in the country. Because we scored zero maternal and child mortality in some of the health facilities,” he said.
Dr Ayembilla explained that the strategies were rolled out in phases, “In 2009, we were focused more on providing incentives. So between 2009 and 2018, it was basically what we call the hardware”.
“From 2018 till date, we moved onto the software, where we get every stakeholder within the healthcare delivery system to act,” the Board Chair said.
He said there was a lot to be done to improve health service delivery, “We are dealing with six Districts out of 15, so there is a lot to be done and we are calling on Civil Society and government to see how these services can be scaled up to sustain maternal health in the Upper East Region.”
Ms Mary Alemiya, a Midwife at the Zuarungu Health Centre in the Bolgatanga East District, told the GNA that PARDA had over the years helped the Centre to improve on maternal and child health services.
She recalled that “Before they came in to support, Ante-Natal Care attendance and deliveries were low. PARDA supported the Centre with a tricycle ambulance to improve our referral system, they gave us delivery items.”
The Midwife said through the NGO’s support, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) were sensitized on the need to refer pregnant women to health facilities for safe delivery, and initiated a monetary reward system for TBAs who transported expectant mothers to health facilities.
“With this initiative, there was some kind of competition among the TBAs on who referred more pregnant women and got the highest pay. This helped to make the work much easier for us,” Ms Alemiya said.
A Community Health Volunteer at Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Mr Gabriel Anaba Amitoriba, acknowledged PARDA’s contribution to health service delivery in the areas of transportation, provision of potable water and logistics at Sumbrungu and other adjoining communities.
GNA