The operationalisation of the Maternal Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has been identified as one of the factors contributing to a decline in maternal deaths at the facility.

KATH recorded 55 institutional maternal deaths between January and June 2026, down from 78 during the same period in 2025 — a reduction of 23 deaths.

Speaking at the hospital’s 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, attributed part of the improvement to the establishment and operationalisation of the MICU with support from anaesthesia and intensive care specialists.

The unit has a capacity of eight beds, although only four are currently operational. Dr Baidoo said fully activating the unit could help reduce maternal deaths further by improving care for women who require critical attention.

He said the improvement was particularly significant because KATH had recorded high levels of maternal mortality over the years.

“We recorded a welcome reduction in institutional maternal deaths from 78 at mid-year 2025 to 55 in the corresponding period in 2026,” Dr Baidoo said.

He stressed the need to sustain efforts to improve maternal survival.

“No woman should die,” he said.

Dr Baidoo said the decline represented the first reduction in maternal mortality at KATH in roughly a decade, highlighting the role of specialist intervention in improving outcomes for critically ill mothers.

Beyond maternal healthcare, KATH has also completed its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to become operational this month. Dr Baidoo said the facility would make KATH the first public health institution in Ghana with a state-of-the-art specialist fertility centre.