For years, expectant mothers seeking care at the Keta Municipal Hospital faced overcrowded wards, with some forced to lie on the floor as the facility struggled to cope with growing demand for maternal healthcare.

Two years after the MTN Ghana Foundation commissioned a state-of-the-art 60-bed Maternity and Child Health Block, hospital authorities say those challenges have largely become a thing of the past, with the facility transforming maternal and child healthcare delivery in the municipality.

Constructed at a cost of more than GH¢15.2 million, the maternity block was handed over in March 2024 as part of the Foundation's corporate social responsibility programme to improve access to quality healthcare.

According to Hospital Administrator Faruk Iddrissu, the investment has significantly expanded the hospital's capacity while restoring dignity to childbirth.

"We used to have a very small maternity ward, and it was difficult to provide the quality care mothers deserved. At times, women had to be managed on the floor because of congestion," he recalled.

He described the transformation since the commissioning of the facility as remarkable.

"The MTN Foundation has given us more than a building; it has given mothers dignity and improved access to quality healthcare."

The modern complex comprises a 40-bed maternity ward with emergency rooms, delivery suites, recovery and lying-in wards, two operating theatres, consulting rooms, an intensive care unit, laboratory, dispensary, outpatient department, pharmacy and a 20-bed mothers' hostel, bringing essential maternal and neonatal services under one roof.

Hospital records indicate that the facility has recorded approximately 25,000 antenatal care visits over the past two years, reflecting growing confidence in its maternal healthcare services.

During the same period, more than 6,000 women were admitted for delivery and related maternal care—an average of about 3,000 admissions annually.

Mr Iddrissu said the hospital has also recorded improvements in key maternal health indicators, including maternal mortality, which remains one of the critical measures of quality maternal healthcare.

For healthcare workers, the facility has also transformed the working environment.

Maternity Ward In-Charge Grace Gunu, who has worked at the hospital for seven years, described the maternity block as a turning point in the hospital's history.

"This beautiful edifice is more than just a building. For us, it is a story of transformation and growth," she said.

She explained that integrating the labour ward, postnatal ward, theatre, neonatal intensive care unit, pharmacy, laboratory and other support services within a single complex has improved efficiency and enabled mothers and newborns to receive timely care.

According to her, the improved infrastructure has boosted staff morale while allowing healthcare professionals to provide more efficient and compassionate services.

Ms Gunu also pointed to a significant increase in patronage since the facility became operational.

"Since the commissioning of the MTN Foundation maternity block, attendance and deliveries have increased significantly. In 2025, Keta Municipal Hospital recorded the highest number of deliveries in the Volta Region. That tells you the difference this facility has made."

The impact extends beyond hospital statistics.

Several mothers who delivered at the facility told JoyNews they were impressed by the clean environment, spacious wards and quality of care they received.

They said the availability of modern equipment, adequate space and the professionalism of the medical staff made them feel safe throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

Some described the maternity block as "a home away from home," saying it restored confidence during one of the most important moments of their lives.

They also expressed gratitude to the MTN Ghana Foundation for investing in maternal and child healthcare, noting that the project has improved healthcare delivery while restoring dignity to childbirth for women in Keta and neighbouring communities.

Two years after its completion, the Maternity and Child Health Block has become more than a healthcare facility. Hospital authorities say it stands as a testament to how strategic corporate investment can strengthen Ghana's health system, ease pressure on frontline health workers and give thousands of mothers and newborns a safer start to life.