15% of maternal mortality deaths in Kumasi are ‘imported’- Health Director

Health delivery in the Ashanti Region is under scrutiny following new revelations surrounding maternal mortality figures in the region.

Available figures show the Ashanti Region accounts for almost a quarter of all national maternal deaths, but a deeper dive into the situation tells a far more complex story – one involving referral bottlenecks, peripheral staffing gaps, and structural delays.

Statistics from the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate show maternal mortality ratios rose from 195.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024 to 196.7 per 100,000 live births in 2025.

The region accounts for 24% of all maternal deaths, leading the country ahead of the Greater Accra and Northern Regions.

While 85% of cases are from within the region, 15% are from outside the Ashanti Region. The region remains closer to the higher national average of 235—almost three times above the Sustainable Development Goal 3 target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the only teaching hospital in the region, has been identified as having recorded approximately 62% of maternal deaths over the period.

But Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, revealed that approximately 92% of women who died at KATH were referred from outside the region.

"Sources of death within Ashanti Region—for all the figures that we are talking about, 15% of these cases came from outside the region. If you are going to do an intervention without being in the Ashanti Region and then forget about them, it means the problem will persist.

And then, within the region, it's about 85% of the 2025 figures. But then, let's move on to the other slide. You see, the location of the deaths within the region: 61.5%, almost 62% of them, are within KATH. Okay? And about 39% of them are outside KATH in the Ashanti Region.

So, straight away, when people look at this figure, they will run and go to Komfo Anokye. Read small before you go to Komfo Anokye. This figure will deceive you. But most of the deaths occurring at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital create the impression and perception of KATH as the source of these deaths.

However, if you analyze the trend, it will show you—and we will see it in the next graph—92% of the deaths occurring in Komfo Anokye are outside."

Audits conducted on maternal mortality cases across health facilities revealed that women are often referred late for conditions with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, representing 30%, previous cesarean sections, representing 19%, leading a pack of badly managed primary causes for emergency referrals to KATH in 2025.

Dr Adomako-Boateng identified severe understaffing at peripheral and receiving facilities, leading to extreme workloads and uncoordinated referrals as some of the driving forces behind high maternal mortality figures in the Ashanti Region.

"Medical conditions referred to KATH in 2025... and we will have to ask ourselves these questions: Why were they referred to KATH? So, you see the figure: Hypertensive disease in pregnancy was about what? 30%. Abnormal labour was about 16%. The question: Why would somebody let somebody go...?

He added, "When we did the review, factors responsible for these, from audits—when these cases were audited, the first one was inadequate numbers, one... Let's—we move on—inadequate numbers, that is one. Two: skill mix at the periphery, leading to sheer workload. Sheer workload. So, 'Let this person refer,' oh, because of numbers."

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, wants all hands on deck to address high maternal mortality figures. Health authorities, however, hope these targeted referral reforms will reverse the trend.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.