The Wa Municipal Hospital has recorded zero maternal deaths in the first half of 2025, the first time in over a decade.
The announcement was made during the Hospital’s 2025 Mid-Year Performance Review Meeting, held under the theme “Driving Excellence in Maternal and Child Health for the Rest of the Year.”
The review meeting brought together the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), the Municipal Director of Health Services, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, traditional leaders, managers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at both regional and municipal levels, as well as hospital management and staff.
Delivering his opening remarks, the Medical Superintendent, Dr (Med) Bukari Zakari, an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Specialist highlighted the hospital’s progress despite ongoing challenges.
He disclosed that the hospital successfully handled 1,554 safe deliveries with no maternal deaths during the review period.
“This outcome is the result of the collective commitment of all staff, especially the Obstetrics and Gynaecology team, medical officers, midwives, theatre, laboratory, and pharmacy teams, as well as timely referrals from peripheral facilities,” he said.
He credited the achievement to the strict implementation of maternal mortality audit recommendations. Dr. Bukari further reported a rise in antenatal clinic (ANC) attendance from 1,985 in 2024 to 2,370 in 2025, but expressed concern over the large number of pregnant women still registering late in their second and third trimesters.
He also noted that outpatient attendance increased from 41,292 in 2024 to 45,077 in 2025, attributing this to improved quality of care.
He further announced that malaria no longer features among the top ten causes of OPD attendance, a development he linked to intensified preventive and public health interventions.
Despite these successes, Bukari outlined key challenges including inadequate infrastructure, shortage of specialist staff, legacy debt, and frequent power outages that disrupt services.
The Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr. Bapula Alex, who chaired the meeting, commended the hospital for the landmark achievement and urged staff to sustain the momentum. The Municipal Chief Executive also praised the hospital’s dedication and pledged support in addressing some of the challenges raised.
Following the meeting, dignitaries toured ongoing projects funded through Internally Generated Funds (IGF), including the renovated surgical ward, which has been converted into a Paediatric Ward and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as well as the renovation of the hospital mortuary.
Bukari emphasised that as an over-aged facility with a huge legacy debt from its days as the Regional Hospital, Wa Municipal Hospital remains financially challenged.
He appealed to civil society organizations, NGOs, and development partners to support the hospital in upgrading its physical infrastructure and replacing obsolete equipment to sustain quality care delivery.
Reporting by Alhassan Tajudeen in the Upper West Region
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