The Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma (BAK) District last year recorded nine maternal deaths as against six cases in 2005.

Mr Timothy Twumasi-Mensah, District Pharmacist, who announced this, attributed the high number to the mass strike action embarked upon by health personnel that crippled health care delivery across the country. Mr Twumasi-Mensah was speaking at the district health review meeting at Kokoado, near Kuntanase, on Friday.

He called on health personnel to redouble their efforts towards improving quality health care delivery in the district. Me Twumasi-Mensah, said the district also recorded 219 HIV positive cases in 2006 as against 155 in 2005, and attributed it to the intensification of public education on voluntary testing and counselling, which was available in most health facilities in the district.

Dr Mrs Agatha Bonney, District Director of Health Services, said the Service would this year adopt pragmatic measures to ensure that all health workers were disciplined to enhance quality health care delivery. She said one major problem facing the Service in the district was lack of funding to support the daily activities of health personnel who moved to various communities to offer services to the people.

Mr Albert Marfo, Presiding Member of the district assembly, who chaired the function, pledged the support of the assembly in health care promotion and said five new health facilities would soon be handed over to some communities in the district.