The virtual labour ward is expected to connect frontline healthcare workers with medical specialists remotely to provide timely support during complex or high-risk childbirths.

The initiative follows data showing that 92 per cent of maternal deaths recorded at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in 2025 involved women referred from peripheral health facilities, while only eight per cent originated from the teaching hospital.

Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, disclosed the figures at the KATH 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi.

He expressed concern about the quality of care and referral systems at some facilities that transferred complicated maternal cases to KATH, stressing the need to strengthen healthcare delivery at the point of referral.

According to the data, Ghana recorded 235 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2025, compared with 196 deaths per 100,000 live births in the Ashanti Region.

The figures mean that the Ashanti Region accounted for approximately one in every four maternal deaths recorded nationally.

Dr Adomako-Boateng, however, said the region had recorded an improvement in maternal mortality during the first half of 2026, despite an increase in the national figures.

“For the half year, if you compare the whole country to what we have presently, the figures have increased, but Ashanti, which was leading, has reduced,” he said.

A further breakdown of the regional data showed that 15 per cent of maternal deaths involved women referred from outside the Ashanti Region, while 85 per cent involved women from within the region.

Of the total maternal deaths recorded, 62 per cent occurred at KATH, while the remaining 38 per cent occurred at other health facilities across the region.

To address the challenges, Dr Adomako-Boateng said the Regional Health Directorate, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was collaborating with KATH to strengthen the capacity of peripheral health facilities through clinical mentorship.

The initiative is aimed at improving the quality of maternal care, strengthening referral systems and reducing avoidable referrals to the teaching hospital.

Specialists at KATH who contributed to the development of relevant clinical guidelines will mentor health professionals at district hospitals, private health facilities and facilities operated by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).

The intervention is expected to enhance the capacity of healthcare workers to manage complicated pregnancies and childbirths at the facility level while ensuring that cases requiring specialised care are referred promptly.