Members of the Ghana National Association of Deaf (GNAD) in Tamale
Members of the Ghana National Association of Deaf (GNAD), most especially pregnant women, are demanding equal treatment when they visit health facilities for antenatal care.
According to the hearing impaired women in the Northern Region, they are unable to communicate with health workers their challenges during the pregnancy period, making service delivery difficult for them.
They, therefore, called on government to, as a matter of urgency, train health workers and station them in at least every health facility to enhance effective health delivery.
This was disclosed when GNAD, in collaboration with Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), organised a three-day awareness training in Tamale.
The training formed part of a series of interventions carried out by GNAD to address the knowledge and awareness gaps regarding sexual reproductive health among the deaf in Tamale and Savelugu Municipality.
The Executive Director of GNAD, Juventus Duorinaah, told DAILY GUIDE that the hearing impaired people have all the characteristics exhibited by non-deaf people, including being sexually active.
Mr. Duorinaah added that the fundamental goal as captured in the five-year strategic plan is to ensure that every deaf person has access to quality information and services on their sexual reproductive health rights.
He pointed out that although the Adolescent Health Service Policy & Strategy (2016-2020) comprehensive policy document holds promises for the future of adolescent sexual reproductive health in Ghana, the document does not have any provisions for deaf adolescents.
Miss Abiba Iddi, the regional public health nurse, said some health facilities have started training staff to learn sign language in order to communicate with deaf patients effectively.
 FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale