The Government through the Ministry of Health (MOH) is looking to procure specialised vehicles to transport neonate babies from hospital to the next in time of emergencies.
This is according to Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony who said the normal ambulances are not equipped to keep the premature babies alive.
“When you move them with the regular ambulances, there are occasions when you can cause a lot more injury in that movement. Remember, they are very small […] so you need them to be very protected.”
In the meantime, Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) are currently being built at all regional hospitals throughout the country for babies who are born premature.
“We’ve trained doctors to be able to man that unit, we have specialised equipment there that can help the babies breathe and to keep them warm and so forth,” the Health Minister noted.
Meanwhile, there has been a reduction in the number of neonatal mortalities.
The Health Minister explained that this reduction is a result of the many interventions put in place by the Ministry of Health.
“Overall in the country, infant and neonatal mortality which is death within the seven days of life would be around 30 or so….and at the GPHC that has been reduced to 6 deaths per thousand.”
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