Telecel Ghana Foundation has organised its maternal health programme, the Rural Ultrasound Initiative in Kubori, a hard-to-reach community in the North East region, offering vital healthcare screening for pregnant women.

The medical outreach team provided ultrasound scans and haemoglobin (HB) checks for 169 pregnant women, marking one of the largest rural screenings conducted under the health outreach this year.

The screening exercise brought together expectant mothers from Kubori and surrounding communities, including Kpatarigu, Fagbong, Yag-Namoo, Wirangu, Kilaayiri, Ezesi, Sagua, Mankarigu, Gombongu, Soo, and Yirangu, giving them rare access to diagnostic services that are often out of reach due to distance, cost, and transportation challenges at equipped health centres.

The Rural Ultrasound Screening, a Telecel Ghana Foundation initiative in partnership with Divine Mother and Child (DMAC) Foundation and the Ghana Health Service, aims to ensure that pregnant women in underserved communities receive timely detection of complications and appropriate medical guidance throughout their pregnancy.

Ralina Abu, a beneficiary of the exercise, after undergoing her first-ever ultrasound and receiving the Foundation’s care package, said the outreach has transformed her pregnancy experience by easing all her worries and financial burden.

“The midwives shared information about my unborn baby’s health, and that has given me some relief and confidence about my pregnancy. Thank you to Telecel Ghana Foundation for the care,” she said.

During the screening exercise, two expectant mothers were diagnosed with intrauterine fetal death, and one with an ovarian cyst.

The screening team refers early detection of these conditions to local health workers to help prevent further pregnancy complications.

Salifu Rashida, a midwife at Kubori Polyclinic, said many rural pregnant women struggle to access ultrasound services due to long distances and high costs.

She explained that the free outreach by Telecel Ghana Foundation has been essential in helping detect complications early and reassuring mothers.

Founder of DMAC Foundation, Edmund Doudu, recounted the difficulty of getting to Kubori by road for this outreach. He arrived covered in red dust from the hours-long journey through the dusty roads and humid weather to the community.

“Kubori was one of the hardest and most remote places we have visited in the past 11 years since we started partnering with the Foundation. Reaching these women and providing essential maternal care was both important and deeply impactful.”

The Rural Ultrasound Initiative is carried out bimonthly and focuses on remote and deprived communities where maternal healthcare services remain limited.

The programme supports the progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being, particularly in reducing maternal mortality.

Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, said, “We are committed to equitable healthcare because no woman should lack access to a simple ultrasound scan that could save her life and protect her unborn child.”

As part of the outreach, healthcare personnel also conducted health education sessions on prenatal nutrition, antenatal care, and the importance of regular checkups.

Telecel Ghana Foundation offered care packages containing essential newborn items to support expectant mothers as they prepare for safe delivery.