Four nurses from the Civil Service Clinic at the
Ministries in Accra, saved a baby and the mother, a mental patient, during 'street' delivery in a temporary delivery room made from pieces of cloth to ensure her privacy, and shielding her from inquisitive public gaze.
They are Madam Florence Lartey, a State Registered Nurse, Madam Peace Dogbegah, and Madam Margaret Frimpong, both Superintendent Enrolled Nurses and Madam Agnes Owusu Ansah, a Family Planning Nurse.
Dr. Ken. Aryeetey, Medical Director of the Clinic, in an interview with GNA said last Tuesday that he had information that a pregnant mental patient was in labour on the street near the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs.
"I therefore sent a team of qualified nurses to the scene, and although they reached there at the second stage of pregnancy, a stage indicating that the foetus is more than prepared to be delivered from the womb, they managed to tie and cut the umbilical cord to prevent excess loss of blood which could cause its death," he said.
Dr Aryeetey said the new born baby was in stable condition with sure chances of survival as signs and reflexes of the baby (breathing, heart beat and colour) indicated that enough blood was flowing in the baby's body.
He said Madam Hannah Anku, a Social Worker at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of Ghana Police Service, has taken the baby to the
Police Hospital for further observation.
Dr Aryeetey said that the mental patient was put under observation at the clinic and later transferred to the Psychiatric Hospital because street delivery had many complications.
He said the clinic would pay the medical bills and appealed to the public to report such cases to the nearest health facility for attention, and commended the public for their prompt information.
Dr Aryeetey advised families to register their women mental patients at health facilities because they are very fertile.