Newborn babies at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital In Kumasi are at health risk as congestion at the Mother and Baby Unit has forced authorities to put four babies in one cot.
Currently, over 100 babies are occupying a room designed to admit only fifty newly born babies.
The Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Rose Yeboah, said the current situation at the unit is medically unwise because each baby should occupy one cot to prevent cross infection.
“The babies are not supposed to be lying in twos in the cots. Each baby should have its own court but the situation is difficult here. We have three and four babies lying in the same court,” he said.
Although the unit was designed to take only 50 babies at a time, Mrs Yeboah said there were 115 babies at the time TV3 Online team visited the facility, saying “This unit is suppose to take 50 babies but at the moment we have about 115 babies”, she bemoaned.
Mrs Yeboah explained because KATH is a referral facility, they are unable to turn away patients, and expressed hope that the completion of the halted maternity and children’s block will solve the congestion problem.
Mrs Rose Yeboah attributed the congestion to some mothers’ inability to settle their medical bills on time.
“Because of the congestion in the unit, some of the mothers sometimes abscond leaving their babies behind, without being noticed by authorities,” she said, adding parents inability to pay their bills has become a huge challenge for the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Business has presented a cash of GHC3,000 to settle the bills of some patients at the Mother and Baby Unit, and the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital.
The Acting Dean of the KNUST School of Business (KSB), Dr Ahmed Agyapong noted that the donation forms part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the School of Business
“Our students will be very soon be passing out and be occupying responsible positions in society. We want them to be thinking about the support they can give to society when managing and occupying business/corporate positions,” he said.
He expressed worry that over 100 babies are occupying a space meant for only 50.
Dr Agyapong hinted of their decision to establish partnership with the unit to continue supporting mothers and their babies.
By Ibrahim Abubakar|tv3network.com|Ghana