Health professionals in the Bono Region have been put on tenterhooks, as authorities demand urgent action to reverse the alarming rise in maternal deaths.
At the 2025 Annual Performance Review Meeting of the Bono Regional Health Directorate in Sunyani, the Regional Director of Health, Dr. Osei Kuffour Afreh declared it unacceptable for any woman to die in the process of giving life.
“This unfortunate situation cannot be allowed to continue! We need to ensure zero tolerance for maternal mortality in this region, and I know we can do it,” he stressed.
The Regional Director of Health’s remarks followed a disturbing data presented at the meeting showing that 38 pregnant women died in the region in 2025 – representing a 100% increase over the previous year.
Even more troubling to the Regional Director was the fact that, 37 of those pregnant women had attended antenatal care, which he said raises serious questions about the quality of maternal healthcare delivery in the region.
The 38 women, aged between 15 and 45 years, included eight first-time mothers.
According to medical data presented at the meeting, haemorrhage and hypertension were identified as the leading causes of their death.
These conditions, Dr. Afreh bemoaned, were known to be preventable and manageable with timely and skilled medical intervention.
However, other factors such as delays in seeking care, lapses in referral systems, poor quality of care at some facilities and cases of missed or late diagnosis were identified as some of the underlying causes.
The report on the maternal deaths fueled outrage among some of the key stakeholders, including the Paramount Chief and President of the Sunyani Traditional Council, Odeefour Ogyeamansan Boahen Korkor II, who did not mince words in condemning the situation.
The Chief raised serious concerns about the attitude of some midwives and nurses towards patients, particularly pregnant women, which he said could discourage timely access to care.
He stressed the need for professionalism, compassion and urgency in handling maternal cases. Adding that, such negative attitudes within health facilities could be costing more lives.
In response, Dr. Afreh announced that the Directorate had established a Regional Maternal Mortality Audit Taskforce to investigate each case and recommend urgent corrective measures.
The Regional Director of Health revealed that his administration would not cover up or shield any personnel whose negligence would lead to court action against the service or lead to a death of a patient.
“If we are taken to court over your negligence or unprofessional conduct and judgement debts are awarded against us, you will pay 50% of the total amount and also internal sanctions”.
All the health professionals at the meeting were taken through medico-legal lessons in a PowerPoint presentation by Ms. Efia Agyeiwaa Danso, from the GHS legal department.
Commendably, almost all the participants (mainly senior health officers) gave their strong backing to the Regional Director to institute necessary punitive measures to ensure discipline, professionalism and accountability at the facilities.
There were also some renewed concerns over the uneven distribution of skilled health personnel, especially in deprived communities where access to emergency obstetric care remains limited.
By Edmond Gyebi
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