KATH records lowest maternal deaths in a decade, with 30% drop

Josephine Amuzu 16:24 - 28 August 2026

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The entrance of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) records a 30% drop in maternal deaths in early 2026, dropping to 55 from 78 deaths, aided by its new Maternal ICU.

KATH recorded 55 maternal deaths between January and June 2026, down from 78 during the same period in 2025.
The hospital attributed the decline partly to its Maternal Intensive Care Unit, supported by anaesthesia and intensive care specialists.
KATH also reported increased OPD, emergency and laboratory attendances, although some services, including deliveries and surgeries, fell below targets.

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has recorded a significant decline in institutional maternal deaths, with the number falling by about 30 per cent between January and June 2026 compared with the same period last year.

The hospital recorded 55 maternal deaths in the first half of 2026, down from 78 deaths recorded between January and June 2025.

KATH Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, described the decline as a significant improvement, stressing that no woman should lose her life due to pregnancy-related complications.

He disclosed the figures on Thursday, August 27, at the opening of the hospital’s 2026 Mid-year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi.

Dr Baidoo attributed the improvement partly to the operationalisation of KATH’s Maternal Intensive Care Unit (MICU), which has been supported by anaesthesia and intensive care specialists.

The unit has a capacity of eight beds, although only four are currently operational.

According to Dr Baidoo, the hospital expects maternal deaths to decline further once all eight beds become operational and the unit is able to accommodate more critically ill patients.

As reported by Joynewsonline, KATH has also strengthened its collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to improve clinical mentorship and capacity building among health facilities in the region.

Dr Baidoo said the initiative is intended to improve the quality of care and referral systems, particularly for pregnant women who require specialised maternal services.

KATH is one of Ghana’s major referral hospitals and receives patients from across the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country.

Dr Baidoo noted that the hospital’s historically high maternal death figures should be considered within the context of its role as a major referral centre, where many patients arrive with complex conditions requiring specialised care.

He said the figures should therefore not automatically be interpreted as evidence of poor-quality care at the hospital.

Beyond maternal healthcare, KATH has completed work on its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to begin operations this month.

Dr Baidoo said the facility would make KATH the first public health facility in Ghana to operate a state-of-the-art specialist fertility centre.

The hospital has also refurbished and reopened its main Dialysis Centre to expand access to specialist dialysis services.

The centre currently has 13 functioning dialysis machines, with additional machines available at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre.

KATH recorded 149,055 attendances at its Specialist Out-Patient Department between January and June 2026, exceeding its mid-year target of 139,740.

The figure represents a 3.61 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

Emergency attendance also exceeded expectations, reaching 14,467, compared with a target of 12,400. This represented 116.67 per cent achievement and an 8.66 per cent year-on-year increase.

Laboratory services recorded 174,367 cases, exceeding the mid-year target of 160,401. This represented 108.71 per cent achievement and a 26.49 per cent increase compared with the previous year’s mid-year figure.

Primary care attendance, however, stood at 37,500, slightly below the target of 37,900.

Despite the gains, Dr Baidoo acknowledged that some areas of the hospital’s operations still require attention.

He said performance in deliveries, surgeries, physiotherapy, radiotherapy and some admission figures fell below the targets set for the first half of 2026.

The hospital, he said, will therefore focus on improving performance in those areas while sustaining the progress recorded in maternal healthcare and other specialist services.