Deputy Health Minister tackles maternal care crisis in Kumasi hospitals

Ghana's Deputy Minister for Health, Professor Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has launched a direct engagement with healthcare workers and management at two major Kumasi facilities to confront a mounting maternal health crisis in the Ashanti Region. The visits to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and Kumasi South Hospital mark an urgent policy response to preventable maternal and newborn deaths that continue to undermine health outcomes across the country's most populous region.

During her first-day engagement in the region, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah conducted extensive consultations with hospital leadership and frontline medical staff to identify systemic bottlenecks in maternal and newborn care. The discussions revealed critical gaps in emergency obstetric services, referral networks, physical infrastructure and personnel that are directly contributing to poor health outcomes for pregnant women and newborns.

Key challenges identified in Ashanti maternal healthcare

The engagement surfaced several interconnected problems. Both facilities reported strain on their capacity to handle complex obstetric emergencies, with KATH bearing disproportionate pressure from across the region. Staff shortages, inadequate equipment in labour wards, and weaknesses in how patients are referred between facilities emerged as recurring concerns. These systemic failures translate into delayed treatment for complications like eclampsia, haemorrhage and infection—conditions that are readily survivable with timely intervention.

Health professionals at both hospitals made a direct appeal to government: accelerate completion of the Sewua and Afari hospitals. These two facilities, once operational, are expected to decentralise maternal care provision, reducing the dangerous overload at KATH whilst bringing quality obstetric services closer to pregnant women in underserved communities across Ashanti.

Government commitment and next steps

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah assured hospital authorities and workers that the Ministry remains committed to resolving these challenges. She toured labour wards, outpatient departments and critical units at both hospitals, and spent time speaking directly with patients to understand their lived experiences and the quality of care they are receiving. These direct interactions aim to ensure that policy decisions are grounded in the realities facing both healthcare workers and expectant mothers.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana's maternal mortality ratio remains stubbornly high despite decades of health investment. According to global estimates, preventable factors—poor infrastructure, staff shortages, delayed referrals—account for a significant proportion of maternal deaths. The Ashanti Region, as Ghana's most populous, serves as a critical barometer for national maternal health performance. What happens in Kumasi's hospitals directly affects thousands of women each year.

The Deputy Minister's intervention signals government recognition that maternal health cannot improve through policy announcements alone. The completion of Sewua and Afari hospitals, coupled with strengthened capacity at existing facilities, could materially reduce maternal deaths. However, success depends on sustained follow-through: equipment procurement, staff recruitment and training, and genuine coordination of referral pathways between health facilities.

For women in Ashanti—particularly those in rural and peri-urban areas—these engagements represent a moment of hope that their health concerns are being heard at the highest levels. The challenge now is converting ministerial visits and promises into tangible improvements in the everyday functioning of maternity units where real lives hang in the balance.