Dormaa West: Health Director appeals for incubators amid rising preterm births

Daniel Owusu-Amponsah, the Dormaa West District Director of Health, has appealed for urgent support to procure incubators for the Dormaa West District Hospital to improve the survival chances of preterm babies.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a food demonstration exercise at Nkrankwanta, Mr. Owusu-Amponsah expressed concern over the increasing number of preterm births recorded in the district. He warned that without incubators, the survival of premature babies remains a major challenge.

He therefore called on benevolent individuals, corporate bodies and the general public to support the hospital with the needed equipment.

Mr. Owusu-Amponsah attributed the rising cases largely to anaemia in pregnancy. He advised expectant mothers to adopt healthier lifestyles, including eating balanced diets, getting adequate rest and avoiding behaviours that could endanger their health and that of their unborn babies.

“The need for incubators has become critical,” he stressed.

Also speaking at the event, the hospital’s Nutrition Officer, Mr. Wisdom Peprah, explained that the food demonstration exercise was organised to promote healthy dietary practices among pregnant women and the wider community.

He disclosed that the facility recorded a 45 per cent rate of anaemia in pregnancy in 2025, a figure health officials say is contributing significantly to complications, including premature births.

Health authorities say addressing maternal nutrition remains key to reducing preterm deliveries and improving neonatal outcomes in the district.

Source: GNA