Mary Aboagye
Executive Director of Health Concern Ghana, Mary Aboagye, has called for an attitudinal change from health professionals towards their patients, especially pregnant women and newborn babies.
She stated that the health of mothers and new-borns can be so frail and fragile that the attitude of a caregiver could make all the difference between life and death, hence her call.
Mrs Aboagye acknowledged the difficult situations under which care givers work but urged them to direct their anger to systems that refuse to ensure that hospitals and clinics are well-resourced with the right equipment and basic necessities instead of being impatient with mothers in labour.
She was speaking at the ‘Let Every Mother & Newborn Count’ sensitisation forum held in Accra in commemoration of Mother’s Day.
The half-day event was to sensitise healthcare providers and health partners on the right attitude towards the promotion of maternal and neonatal health in Ghana.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah, said the role of skilled health professionals in promoting maternal and neonatal health cannot be underestimated.
“The head represents the cognitive knowledge acquired, the hand represents the skills and the heart represents the attitudes and beliefs. I find this model particularly relevant to the work of health professionals,” she pointed out.
Madam Mensah was optimistic that with the right attitude of empathy, diligence and time consciousness, health professionals will succeed to save lives and safeguard the lives of mothers and newborns.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri