The Labour Ward of the Tamale West Hospital is grappling with severe space constraints, inadequate cleaning staff, and heightened infection risks.
Rahama Yakubu, the shift-in-charge Senior Midwife, disclosed this to journalists on Friday during a visit by MTN Ghana to the hospital to mark Christmas by donating baby hampers to newborns delivered on December 25.
“Our space is too small. All the time, that’s how it is,” Rahama said, explaining that mothers who deliver are expected to stay for 24 hours for observation but are often discharged earlier due to congestion. “Sometimes they have to stay three or four on a bed. Health-wise, it’s not good. They can carry infections to their babies and to themselves, but we have no option.”
She revealed that some mothers who delivered on Christmas Day were discharged before the MTN team arrived because there was no space to accommodate them. “That is why today, when we came, we couldn’t meet some of them. The space was not there,” she said.
Rahama also pointed to staffing challenges, particularly in sanitation. “We have cleaners, but they are not enough. There are only three cleaners for both the labour and maternity wards,” she noted, adding that when one cleaner is off duty, maintaining hygiene becomes extremely difficult.
Cobwebs, dirty walls, dusty louvers, blood-stained floors, and torn window nets are what greet visitors to the labour ward and nurses’ station at the Tamale West Hospital. Painted walls are beginning to peel, while corridors have been converted into wards—an indication that the entire maternity block requires rehabilitation and possible expansion to accommodate more patients and ensure their comfort.
Despite these challenges, MTN Ghana presented baby hampers to mothers who delivered on December 25 at the Tamale West Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital as part of its annual Christmas tradition. Nationwide, the telecom giant distributed 700 hampers across all 16 regions.
According to Rahama, eight babies were delivered through normal delivery at the Tamale West Hospital—five males and three females—while three babies, comprising two males and one female, were delivered through caesarean section.
She said the donation brought relief and joy to mothers, particularly vulnerable ones. “One particular mother is a student. She came alone, with nothing. We even had to buy food for her. This presentation has really relieved some of our pressure,” she said.
At the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Senior Midwife Fauzia Adam described the Christmas deliveries as largely successful. “We are always very happy when mothers deliver safely without stillbirth,” she said. “Even though we may have one or two babies at the NICU, they are doing quite well.”
Fauzia said 16 babies—nine males and seven females—were delivered at the facility on Christmas Day, including twins. She noted that three mothers underwent emergency caesarean sections but were all recovering well. “The mothers are fine, and their babies are also healthy. One baby is at the NICU, but the baby is stable,” she said.
She described MTN’s annual visit as a morale booster for both staff and mothers. “When they come, they add extra happiness and extra joy. Something you don’t expect—someone knocking on your door to give you gifts—it is a blessing,” she said.
Explaining MTN Ghana’s motivation, Mohammed Shayawu, a representative of the company in the Northern Sector, said the initiative is a yearly tradition to recognise babies born on Christmas Day and their mothers. “This year, we are donating 700 hampers nationwide across all the 16 regions through selected regional hospitals,” he said.
In Tamale, he noted, the company donated 30 baby hampers to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and the Tamale West Hospital. “We do this to delight our customers and to give back to society,” Shayawu said, adding that the company remains grateful to stakeholders who support the initiative.
While the donations brought smiles to mothers on Christmas Day, health workers say the persistent infrastructure and staffing challenges at facilities such as the Tamale West Hospital require urgent attention from government and development partners to ensure safe and dignified maternal care beyond festive gestures.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
