Cynthia Banitamina a native of Tongo, the capital of the Talensi District of the Upper East Region who lives and works in Ghana’s capital, Accra, and her friends have come to the aid of Talensi District Hospital and the Zebila Hospital with life-saving equipment and medications.
The equipment includes a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP), which costs a little over 34,000 cedis, an infusion pump, purple cannulas for newborn babies, and mattresses amongst other medications.
This saw the Talensi District Hospital receive a CPAP machine, canulas, mattresses, and medications while the Zebila Hospital received the Infusion Pump, medication, and canulas.
The donation comes at a time when the Talensi District Hospital has identified birth asphyxia which is a condition in newborn babies that happens when a baby’s brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients before, during, or right after birth as the leading cause of death or complications including cerebral palsy.
In 2020, the hospital recorded 12 deaths as a result of birth asphyxia out of 20 deaths, representing 60%. Out of 17 deaths in 2021, 10 deaths were as a result of birth asphyxia. In 2022, the facility recorded 12 deaths and out of this number, 10 were as a result of birth asphyxia with 2 out of 6 deaths being as a result of birth asphyxia in 2023.
Babies that eventually survive, end up with serious complications and conditions including cerebral palsy.
In all, nearly 60,000 cedis have been expended on the purchase and transportation of the items to the facility.
Speaking to Dreamz News on the sidelines of the presentation of the items to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Talensi District Hospital, the Nurse in Charge of the NICU, Stephen Atindana Abane, described the donated items as life-saving and life-enhancing machines.
He noted that, with the CPAP machine, some of the deaths and complications can be prevented adding, that they will no longer be compelled to refer such cases out of the facility, which equally leads to complications.
“This donation is a big blessing to the hospital. These are not just life-saving equipment but they are equally life-enhancing equipped. This means that they aid in making babies survive and live normal lives. For instance, the preterm babies, lungs are not matured and lack the substance in them that will help them expand and take in air so this machine, will force the air inside and help asphyxiated babies to breathe. We recorded many babies who died while others are now suffering from cerebral palsy” he stated.
Nambileeb Christopher Saganma, Zebila Hospital NICU Manager, detailed how the infusion pump and other items will help in improved health care for newborn babies saying “These items will help us a lot because the pressure on the Zebila is enormous due to the conflict in Bawku so this will go a long way to facilitate our work.”
Elizabeth Asibi Maldima, who represented Cynthia to present the items, also explained how the absence of the CPAP machine affected a nephew, who is now struggling with Cerebral Palsy. “Because of the absence of this machine ( CPAP) machine, my niece is struggling with cerebral palsy. But thanks to Cynthia and her friends, this will stop.” She narrated.
