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‘Preterm babies aren’t curses’
• Mrs. Mayne-Eghan making a donation
to a mother of a preterm baby
An advocate for preterm babies’ wellness and their survival, Mrs. Naa Kuorkor Mayne-Eghan, Founder of Jay Foundation, has expressed dissatisfaction about the rate at which some mothers and parents abandon from their preterm babies at various health facilities.
The advocate bemoaned that some families in our Ghanaian cultural setting have the misconception that preterm babies are bad omens and a curse to the family; hence, they abandon these little innocent babies in order not to carry them along as curses.
This act, she said, was cruel, inhumane, and primitive because the preterm babies are innocent of whatever complication they may find themselves in.
She explained that preterm babies are those born before the 37th week of pregnancy, and that such babies require special treatment and attention at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to be able to grow normally like full-term babies.
Adding to that, she said some of the treatment for these preterm babies may require more intensive nursery care, medication, and sometimes surgery due to the degree of complications.
Mrs. Mayne-Eghan encouraged preterm mothers not to be anxious and afraid of preterm babies because the situation has nothing to do with spirituality, superstitious beliefs, or a curse as such babies are just going to grow up and be perfectly fit like full-term babies.
“It is about time we eschew negative perceptions and do away with some myths and misconceptions about maternal health and its related health complications,” she stressed.
On her part, there must be enough education for preterm mothers and her family at large in order to prevent the worrying phenomenon where families and mothers abandon preterm babies because it has nothing to do with traditional or cultural affiliations but rather a medical condition.
The founder of the Jay Foundation called on stakeholders in the health sector to shift attention to neonatal healthcare because these preterm babies are the future leaders who would rule the affairs of the nation.
“The death of a baby should not be as a result of negligence or due to the unavailability of medical equipment, electricity, or space because the babies did not ask to be born into such troubling situations,” she passionately underscored.
According to her, the Jay Foundation, a non-governmental organisation has devoted its mandate to ensuring that pre-mature babies survive in Ghana by ensuring their mothers are happy and the neonatal intensive care units are equipped to ensure that the babies thrive.
Highlighting the success story of the Jay Foundation, the Founder said since its inception in 2019, it has made donations of more than GH¢300,000 to NICUs (neonatal intensive care units) in 10 hospitals and medical facilities in the country to support preterm babies, their mothers, and staff of the hospitals.
Tema General Hospital, Nsawam, Korle Bu, ShaiOsudoku, Keta Hospitals, Battor Catholic, Wenchi Hospital,
Bamboi Polyclinic, Banda District Hospital, and Jama Polyclinic are among the facilities she mentioned.
“Items donated included digital thermometers, digital weighing scales, suction machines, pulse oximeters, nasal prongs, baby cots, cot sheets, bedsheets, drip stands, kangaroo mother care clothes, baby wipes, napkins, sanitisers, baby clothing, and cleaning materials, among others,” the advocate mentioned.
Mrs. Mayne-Eghan observed that, in Ghana, most preterm babies do not get adequate care due to lack of space, facilities, and essentials needed to evade infection, which cause death.
She reiterated her commitment with her indefatigable team members at the Jay Foundation to continually aim at reducing the high mortality rate of neonates and maternal mortality in the short term.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
