The Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Akosua Manu, has called on Parliament to institute a bipartisan inquiry into maternal deaths in Ghana.
Her call follows the death of 31-year-old Theresa Boakye Dua after a Caesarean section at Ridge Hospital, with her husband alleging negligence on the part of the facility and medical personnel.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Madam Manu said the incident is not isolated but reflects a worrying national trend.
“Personally, I put it up because just two weeks ago, I had made a call to government to take a critical look at the number of women who are dying through pregnancy-related incidents.”
She noted that while Ghana has made some progress, the figures remain alarming.
“All of us seated here at the table either have a friend, a family member, a colleague from work whose spouse died on the table, or who actually lost a baby, or lost both. It cannot be that we all have a similar experience. I made a post on Facebook on this matter, and the comment section really broke my heart.”
Akosua Manu said the blame cannot be placed solely on health workers, and called for a deeper look at systemic challenges.
“Whereas majority were putting the blame on health professionals and our health system, the question also is, maybe we are losing our best to foreign exposure.
We are travelling out of Ghana to seek greener pastures. Maybe that could be one of the reasons. Maybe we are not doing routine training. Maybe we are not equipping them with the right tools. Maybe they are overworked and we do not have enough doctors to run shifts to give them a break. Maybe they are also even being abused within the health system.”
She also decried the persistent stigma around Caesarean sections, which she says is costing lives.
“Even on the back end, I saw comments on the husband’s post saying, ‘Why did you allow her to have elective CS?’ And I’m thinking, elective caesarean section is the safest, but there is a stigma on it because people think once you go under the knife, then you are headed to your own demise.”
“There are doctors who give accounts of asking for a green light from a partner to put their wife through surgery because natural birth is not possible for them, and the husbands are saying no, ‘I want her to deliver naturally,’ and women have died through this process.”
“There are so many factors that account for these losses, but it can never be that in 2026 we are comfortable with these numbers,” she stressed.
She therefore called for a broad-based investigation.
“I call for a bipartisan probe through Parliament, Ghana Medical Association, stakeholders, even religious bodies, because if you are in a church and you have members who are dying through this, you should be concerned.”
Background
The husband of a 31-year-old woman who died after a Caesarean section at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital, has accused the facility of negligence.
Daniel Ofori Asante made the allegation in an emotional Facebook post on Friday, August 28, 2026, as preparations were underway to bury his wife, Theresa Boakye Dua.
According to Mr Asante, his wife died on July 16, 2026, after undergoing a scheduled, elective Caesarean section at the hospital. The couple had been married for 19 months and this was her first childbirth.
“Theresa’s only fault was being pregnant and placing her trust in Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) for a scheduled, elective Caesarean section,” he wrote.
Mr Asante described his wife’s death as a result of “blatant negligence and unprofessionalism” and “reckless decisions made by some people at Ridge Hospital,” though he did not disclose the specific medical details in his initial post.
“Since the evening of July 16, 2026, I have lived in excruciating pain. I am still struggling to process the horrific ordeal my wife, our families and myself endured at Ridge Hospital,” he said.
He said the tragedy has left their newborn baby boy without a mother.
Mr Asante also revealed that Theresa was the only child of her parents. Her father, who had travelled outside Ghana and was not expected to return until 2027, had to return early following her death.
He said Theresa’s death has deeply affected her colleagues at the Ministry of Health, members of ICGC Covenant Temple, and their wider circle of friends.
He has vowed to seek accountability and says he will provide a full account of what transpired after the burial, alleging that the ordeal also involved “unprofessionalism, manipulation and extortion.”
Ridge Hospital is yet to officially respond to the allegations.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke