The Telecel Foundation has extended its Rural Ultrasound Scan Initiative to the Kpandai District in the Northern Region, providing free ultrasound screening and maternal health education to expectant mothers at the Wiae CHPS Compound at Jagbengbendo.
The initiative, implemented in partnership with the Divine Mother and Child Foundation (DMAC), forms part of the Telecel Foundation’s Connected Health pillar, which seeks to improve access to quality maternal healthcare in underserved communities by bringing essential antenatal services closer to expectant mothers.
Many pregnant women in rural communities continue to face difficulties accessing ultrasound services because of the long distances they have to travel to health facilities equipped with ultrasound machines.
The initiative is, therefore, aimed at bridging that gap by providing timely ultrasound screening, enabling the early detection of pregnancy-related complications and facilitating appropriate medical referrals where necessary.
Speaking on behalf of the Kpandai District Director of Health, the Nutrition Officer at the Kpandai District Health Directorate, John Nakoja, expressed appreciation to the Telecel Foundation for the initiative and its contribution to improving maternal healthcare delivery in the district.
He said the lack of ultrasound equipment in the area had made it difficult for health authorities to provide the essential service to expectant mothers.
“We have many pregnant women in our community, but lack of ultrasound equipment has made it difficult to provide these essential health services. We are grateful to the Telecel Foundation for bringing this important initiative to our community,” he said.
Mr Nakoja noted that the initiative was particularly beneficial to women in remote communities, many of whom faced significant challenges in accessing healthcare facilities.
“Access to healthcare remains a challenge in the Kpandai District, as many communities are far apart and expectant mothers often travel long distances for maternal health services. This initiative has brought the much-needed relief by making free ultrasound screening accessible to pregnant women in the district,” he added.
The Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, stated that the foundation remained committed to improving maternal health outcomes across the country.
“Through our Rural Ultrasound Scan Initiative, we are bringing essential ultrasound services closer to underserved communities, helping women monitor the health of their pregnancies while reducing the financial and travel burden often associated with accessing these services. We remain committed to supporting healthier pregnancies and giving every child the best possible start to life,” she elaborated.
The Telecel Foundation’s Rural Ultrasound Scan Initiative is a bimonthly programme aimed at improving access to maternal healthcare in underserved communities across the country.
It forms part of the foundation’s broader commitment to ensuring that mothers have access to essential antenatal care and that babies have a healthier start to life.
One of the beneficiaries, Rhoda, indicated that the outreach had saved her the cost and inconvenience of travelling long distances to access ultrasound services.
“Accessing ultrasound scan services is a challenge because we must travel far outside our community. Thanks to the Telecel Foundation for bringing the free ultrasound screening closer to home,” she underlined.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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