The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) says it has recorded a decline in institutional maternal deaths for the first time in a decade.
The report indicates that the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) says it has recorded a decline in institutional maternal deaths for the first time in a decade.
It further notes that the hospital recorded 55 maternal deaths between January and June 2026, down from 78 during the same period in 2025, representing a reduction of about 30 per cent.
KATH Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, described the development as a significant improvement, stressing that no woman should die from pregnancy-related complications.
He made the disclosure on Thursday at the opening of the hospital’s 2026 Mid-year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi.
Dr Baidoo attributed the reduction partly to the operationalisation of the hospital’s Maternal Intensive Care Unit, with support from anaesthesia and intensive care specialists.
The unit has an eight-bed capacity, although four beds are currently operational.
He expressed optimism that maternal deaths could fall further once the remaining beds became available.
Dr Baidoo stated KATH had also strengthened its collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to provide clinical mentorship and capacity-building support to health facilities in the region.
The initiative, he said, was aimed at improving the quality of clinical care and referrals, particularly for women requiring specialised maternal services.
KATH has historically recorded high numbers of maternal deaths, partly because it serves as a major referral centre for patients from across the Ashanti Region and beyond.
Dr Baidoo stated the figures should not be interpreted as an indication of poor quality care, given the large number of patients and complex cases referred to the hospital.
The hospital has also completed work on its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to become operational this month.
According to Dr Baidoo, the facility will make KATH the first public health facility in Ghana to operate a state-of-the-art specialist fertility centre.
The hospital’s main Dialysis Centre has also undergone refurbishment and has been reopened to expand access to specialist dialysis services.
