A lack of incubators at a local hospital in the Northern region has left over a dozen babies dead, journalist Joojo Cobbinah described in a gripping report on Joy News Friday.

At the Kpandai Polyclinic, babies who need special care must be trekked over 200 kilometers on poor roads to reach Tamale Teaching Hospital, where they can receive proper medical treatment.

Cobbinah traveled to Kpandai earlier this month where he spoke with Raymond Aboungo, Tamale Teaching Hospital’s medical superintendent. He says a large part of the problem stems from the deplorable conditions of the roads leading into and out of the hospital. "We try to manage in our own way but a lot of these babies must go by public transport," Aboungo told Cobbinah.

Aboungo says he would transport these babies with his own personal vehicle, but because the roads are rocky, he is unable to. He himself rides a bike to work everyday while his car sits at home.

Meanwhile, a resident in Kpandai named Ester said that the journey to Tamale can be cumbersome and dangerous for an ill newborn.

“From here to Tamale is a very long journey. Traveling with the babies who are tiny is difficult,” she said.

According to the report, the ambulance service in the municipality requests GH¢500, which most people simply can’t afford to pay.

On a broader scale, childbirth-related deaths have hit the country hard.

Move this to cediland.com

Rubbish! *spits