KATH Children’s Unit under-equipped
The Children’s Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is currently under-equipped following the breakdown of seven incubators.
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The Unit also lacks infusion pumps and patient monitors which are crucial in the health care of newborn babies.
The Head of the Mother and Child Unit of the KATH, Professor Emmanuel Addo-Yobo, who disclosed this, said the unit was now left with only one functional incubator.
He was speaking during a presentation of two patient monitors and an infusion pump to the unit by the Amakom branch of the Catholic Men’s Society in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The donation of the GH¢9,000 equipment formed part of activities marking the 25th anniversary of the society.
Lack of incubators
The lack of incubators has compelled doctors at the unit to put newborn babies with peculiar health challenges in cots, while others were also made to practice the ‘Kangaroo mother care system’, where babies are strapped to the bodies of their mothers to provide them with some warmth.
The infusion pump is used for delivering drugs and blood to underweight newborns and for accurate measurement of drugs to check abuse, while Patient monitors are used to measure the rate of heartbeat and blood pressure of children. They also determine the level of oxygen in a child’s blood.
Concerns
Prof. Addo-Yobo expressed concern about the situation since according to him, it affected quality healthcare delivery at the unit as a result of some staff being compelled to resort to other measures of sustaining lives in the facility.
He described the unit as very “deprived” since a facility with about 123 children on admission did not have the needed equipment to work with.
The director added that the facility was congested due to inadequate space and appealed for expansion of the unit to cater for the growing number of patients.
Prof. Addo-Yobo expressed appreciation to the society for their support and pledged to use the items for the intended purpose.
The President of the Amakom branch of the Society, Mr Clement Kwarteng, commended staff at the unit for their hard work and dedication and assured them of their regular support for effective health care.