Teenage pregnancy is on the surge in the Mampong Municipality, a situation health authorities found “very worrying.”
Available statistics show that 349 girls aged between 10 and16, became pregnant last year.

Mr Jacob Amoah, Mampong Municipal Health Director, made this known at an annual health performance meeting attended by health workers, heads of departments, chiefs, assembly and unit committee members.

Mr Amoah said there was an urgent need to step up reproductive health education, particularly among adolescents.

He therefore, urged stakeholders including health professionals, parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders to work together to halt the disturbing trend of sexual adventurism associated with young people.

According to him, the municipality recorded four maternal deaths and 73 still births last year.

He attributed the cause of the deaths to lack of some essential drugs and
appealed to the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to act quickly to address the issue.

Dr Kwadwo Nyarko-Jectey, Medical Superintendent, Mampong Government Hospital, complained about the insurance capitation in the region and said it was crippling health care services at the facility.

He called for its immediate suspension to enable patients to access quality care.

He enumerated other challenges confronted by his outfit including inadequate accommodation for health workers, frequent power outages and transport services and asked that they should be addressed.

GNA