The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has recorded a significant decline in institutional maternal deaths, with hospital authorities attributing part of the improvement to the operationalisation of the Maternal Intensive Care Unit (MICU).
KATH recorded 55 maternal deaths between January and June 2026, compared with 78 deaths during the same period in 2025. This represents a reduction of 23 institutional maternal deaths.
Maternal Intensive Care Unit Helps Improve Outcomes
Speaking at KATH’s 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, said the establishment and operation of the MICU had contributed to the improvement in maternal healthcare outcomes.
The unit was established with support from anaesthesia and intensive care specialists to provide specialised treatment for pregnant women and new mothers requiring critical medical attention.
The MICU has a total capacity of eight beds, although only four are currently operational.
Dr Baidoo indicated that fully activating the remaining beds could help reduce maternal mortality at KATH even further by improving access to specialised critical care for women with severe pregnancy-related complications.
KATH Maternal Deaths Fall for First Time in About a Decade
The KATH CEO described the decline as particularly significant given the hospital’s historically high levels of maternal mortality.
“We recorded a welcome reduction in institutional maternal deaths from 78 at mid-year 2025 to 55 in the corresponding period in 2026,” Dr Baidoo said.
He stressed the importance of maintaining efforts aimed at improving maternal survival and quality healthcare for pregnant women.
“No woman should die,” he added.
According to Dr Baidoo, the reduction marks the first decline in maternal mortality at KATH in approximately a decade, highlighting the potential impact of specialist medical intervention and intensive care services on the survival of critically ill mothers.
The development reinforces calls for stronger maternal healthcare systems, emergency obstetric care and specialist medical services to help reduce preventable maternal deaths in Ghana.
KATH Completes Specialist Fertility Centre
Beyond maternal healthcare, KATH has also completed its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to begin operations this month.
Dr Baidoo said the facility would position KATH as the first public health institution in Ghana with a state-of-the-art specialist fertility centre.
The ART Centre is expected to expand access to advanced fertility treatment and reproductive healthcare services for couples and individuals seeking specialised medical assistance.
The developments at KATH form part of ongoing efforts to strengthen specialist healthcare delivery and improve access to advanced medical services in Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com