New Maternity and Children’s Ward opens in Asukawkaw, Ghana

GHANA—Ghana’s First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama, who leads the Lordina Foundation, has officially opened a state-of-the-art maternity and child health facility in Asukawkaw, located within the Krachi East District of the Oti region.

The foundation financed the project with crucial support from donors and partners, fulfilling a request made by the Chief of Akroso-Asukawkaw approximately one year earlier.

This latest facility marks the fourth maternity and children’s ward that the Lordina Foundation has constructed and transferred to local communities and Ghana’s Health Service.

The foundation’s mission focuses on reducing maternal, infant, and child mortality rates across Ghana’s healthcare system.

Previously completed projects included facilities at Bole District Hospital, Nkoranza Health Centre, and Abodom community, while the foundation has also renovated and expanded the Hohoe Adabraka Health Centre and continues supplying medical equipment to health centers nationwide.

Addressing rural healthcare disparities

The initiative emerged following communication from Paramount Chief Nana Odamu Gyamfi III, who detailed the dangerous journeys pregnant women from his community undertake to reach distant clinics, often arriving too late to receive adequate care.

Recognizing this urgent need, Mrs. Mahama called the situation “a call to action” and mobilized resources to establish the facility.

The newly inaugurated structure has been thoughtfully designed to provide comprehensive care.

It features a reception area, medical offices, maternity and pediatric wards, a fully equipped surgical theatre, delivery facilities, sterilization areas, and a neonatal intensive care unit.

The installation of advanced equipment—including electric beds, surgical tables, infant incubators, ultrasound machines, delivery and cesarean section kits, cardiac monitors, phototherapy units, oxygen systems, and monitoring devices—positions the facility to handle complex medical situations.

Notably, the building incorporates a hybrid power system that merges the national electrical grid with solar energy, ensuring dependable emergency lighting and operational continuity during outages.

A commitment to vulnerable populations

Mrs. Mahama emphasized that approximately one in ten Ghanaian women face serious pregnancy-related health risks, underscoring the critical importance of accessible healthcare.

She stated, “No woman should die while giving life, and no child should start without proper care simply because of where they were born.”

She called upon health administrators, facility managers, and the community to maintain the facility for future generations, framing it as “more than a building but a reminder that with government, leaders, and partners, we can protect every vulnerable Ghanaian.”

Health Minister Kwabena Akandoh acknowledged the project as a significant stride toward safe and dignified maternal and child care, praising Mrs. Mahama’s exceptional dedication to women’s and children’s health.

The Lordina Foundation’s Board Chair, Pastor Kwame Boateng Sarpong, highlighted the project as central to the foundation’s mission of supporting rural women and children.

In recognition of her contributions, the paramount chief and community elders bestowed upon Mrs. Mahama the title Nana Oseadeayo Odamwaa II, recognizing her as Development Queen Mother of the Akroso-Asukawkaw Traditional Area.