Ashanti Region introduces virtual labour ward as 92% of KATH maternal deaths involve referrals

The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate is introducing a virtual labour ward to enhance clinical mentorship and reduce maternal deaths in the region. This virtual labour ward aims to connect frontline healthcare workers with remote medical specialists during complex or high-risk childbirths. In 2025, 92 percent of maternal deaths at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) involved referrals from peripheral health facilities, while only eight percent originated from KATH itself.

Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, highlighted this concerning trend at the KATH 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi. He stressed that efforts to reduce maternal deaths must extend beyond the teaching hospital and focus on strengthening care at the point of referral. In 2025, Ghana recorded 235 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and the Ashanti Region had a mortality rate of 196 deaths per 100,000 live births, accounting for about one in every four national maternal deaths.

Despite the worsening national trend, the Ashanti Region has shown improvement in maternal mortality figures this year. Dr Adomako-Boateng explained that 15 percent of maternal deaths in the region involved women referred from outside the region, while 85 percent were from within the region. Of the total deaths, 62 percent occurred at KATH, with the remaining 38 percent at other facilities across the region.

To address these challenges, the Regional Health Directorate is partnering with KATH and supported by UNICEF to strengthen peripheral health facilities through clinical mentorship. This initiative aims to improve the quality of maternal care and reduce unnecessary referrals to the teaching hospital.