GRMA marks 80 years of delivering, caring for Ghana
This week the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA) is holding its 10th Biennial General Meeting (BGM) on the theme ‘GRMA: 80 years of delivering and caring for Ghana.’ The highlight of the five-day event will be the climax of the 80 years anniversary of the association.
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GRMA is an Association for all midwives registered and licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. It has been in existence since 1935 thus the Association will turn 80 next year 2015.
Midwifery in Ghana
In the 1920’s deliveries were done by expatriates, doctors and male midwives of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The two trained male midwives, Cole Benjamin and John Williams, started domiciliary/community midwifery in the clients’ homes.
They were later joined by Dr F. V. Nanka Bruce, who had also been trained as a midwife in the United Kingdom (UK). Dr Nanka Bruce, then a member of the legislative Council of the Gold Coast initiated the idea that there was the need for a separate health unit to cater for the health needs of pregnant women.
In the early part of 1928, Dr Grace Summerhayes, a British Obstetrician/Gynaeocologist became the first doctor to take charge of the pioneer maternity hospital of the country and she was assisted by five Ghanaian nurses namely Isabella Eyo, Adelaide Mallet, Comfort Addo, Grace Koi and Sarah Okine.
Dr Summerhayes decided that these nurses, who also assisted doctors and male midwives to deliver, could be trained to become professional midwives.
The first batch of students were presented for examination in 1931 and certificates were issued in 1932.
History of GRMA
Dr Nanka Bruce and Dr Evelyn Clarke upon realising the bad maternity cases from Osu, Mamprobi and Lartebiokoshie decided to set up Maternity Homes so that some of the seasoned midwives would live in the communities to take care of and refer high risk clients to the Korle- Bu hospital to reduce complications leading to maternal and infant mortality.
Three midwives from Korle-Bu namely Isabella Eyo, Adelaide Mallet and Comfort Addo were sent to live in the three communities.
By 1933, 19 professional midwives had been trained and they decided to form an association to create a healthy society for Ghanaian women and their families through quality Reproductive Health Services. The Association was called Gold Coast Midwives Association.
In the same year, a midwife Madam Fredrica Kwaley Aba Addo visited the UK and contacted the Royal College of Midwives and briefed them about the Gold Coast Midwives Association.
Madam Addo made contact with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) which was then only European based and on her return she motivated the Gold Coast Midwives to join the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).
Thus in 1935, the association became the first African Country to join ICM.
Transition to GRMA
In 1957, Ghana gained its independence so the Gold Coast Midwives Association was changed to Ghana Registered Midwives Association. The GRMA has 10 branches in all the regions of Ghana and membership is open to all midwives who are recognised by the government as being competent to practise midwifery.
According to the association’s current National President, Mrs. Joyce Jetuah, GRMA’s vision is to create a healthy society for Ghanaian women and their families through supporting the provisions of quality integrated health services.
In Ghana, midwives are vitally important to health, not because they deliver women of babies, but as skilled professionals, they are educated to care for women of all ages, including promotion of health and management of minor ailments of the entire family.
They are found in all corners of the country, in public hospitals, private clinics and maternity homes in urban, rural and most deprived areas working 24 hours a day.
It is thus said that the future of a country lies in the belly of a woman supported by a skilled midwife to promote healthy pregnancy, safe delivery and healthy babies.
Innovations
Over the years, Ghanaian midwives have come out with innovations for which they have won competitive international awards.
These include the Zorkor Initiative by Mary Issaka and the creation of the birthing stool by Magdalene Juliet Acquah which were recognised by the international community as innovations that have led to the reduction of maternal mortality.
Somehow midwives have not been sufficiently recognised nationally for their contribution to maternal health thus the celebration of the GRMA’s 80th anniversary must also serve as a wake-up call to all Ghanaians to give them the due recognition.
Special attention should go to midwives in the rural and hard to reach areas of the country. They must be supported with basic equipment, tools and consumables to work and further provided with incentives including training opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge.
