The Kumasi Metropolitan Directorate of Health Services recorded 60 maternal deaths between January and June this year, as against 50 deaths within the same period last year. The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital recorded 58 deaths out of the number and Suntreso Government Hospital recorded two deaths. Dr. Joseph Oduro, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health Services, announced these at this year’s half-year performance review meeting of the Health Directorate, in Kumasi on Tuesday. The meeting that was attended by medical officers, nurses and other health personnel, aimed at evaluating the performance of the Directorate and adopt effective strategies to improve upon health delivery in the metropolis. Dr. Oduro attributed the deaths to severe anaemia, septic abortion, renal failure, severe malaria and other health complications. He, therefore, appealed to the health personnel to educate pregnant women on the need to regularly attend antenatal care. Dr. Oduro said uncomplicated malaria was still the leading disease among pregnant women, saying, the Directorate recorded 151,452 cases of the disease, representing 52.9 per cent, from January to June this year, as against 107,495 cases, representing 46 per cent within the same period last year. He said 13,195 cases of hypertension were recorded as against 11,312 within the same period whiles 2,355 cases of skin diseases and ulcers were also recorded. Dr. Oduro said the challenges facing the directorate included inadequate funds, transport and poor infrastructure in most hospitals and health centres and appealed to government to solve the problems to make the facilities more viable. He also said the Directorate would work hard to improve its expanded programme on immunisation and strengthen its supervision role to increase tuberculosis (TB) care detector rate. Dr. Oduro advised health personnel to work harder and adopt effective strategies to improve upon health delivery in the metropolis. Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adusei, Medical Superintendent at the Suntreso Government Hospital, appealed to the National Health Insurance Council to put in place effective structures to ensure the success of the National Health Insurance Scheme.GNA