Biriwa is a fishing community situated between Yamoransa and Anomabo in the Central Region. The rocky fishing village sits on the serene shores and stretches across the coastal line.
Biriwa is a fishing community situated between Yamoransa and Anomabo in the Central Region. The rocky fishing village sits on the serene shores and stretches across the coastal line. Every turn in this dense shantytown had several under-five kids running around on the rocks and sometimes, in the sand; women busy smoking fresh fish while others prepared meals.In many villages, untrained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) are the only people who provide basic care during childbirth. According to the UNFPA, the services provided by many untrained TBAs are inimical to the survival of the pregnant woman. But Biriwa is privileged: Privileged not because of the many health facilities within a 15-mile radius, but due to the resourcefulness of very committed volunteers in the community.Behold Grace SackeyDespite the visible economic strain on the community, there are still warm hearts bent on ensuring that women survive childbirth however challenging the situation is. 66-years-old Grace Sackey is a local birth attendant who, women in Biriwa say, has helped save lives.Beaming with smiles, an excited Madam Sackey shared anecdotes of her forty years’ experience as a TBA coupled with ten years professional training in handling delivery cases. According to Mad. Grace Sackey, she acquired the skill of attending to pregnancies and deliveries from her mother and has since been practicing for many decades.Training from her mother was complimented by the Ghana Health Service’s training for TBAs which, in her opinion equipped her with basic evidence-based methods of providing support for pregnant women. Now, she ensures that every “high risk” pregnancy she attends to is referred to the Cape Coast Government Hospital, Saltpond Hospital or the Anomabo Clinic for the appropriate care. She also ensures that mothers of safe deliveries assisted by her are also referred to nearby facilities for adequate postnatal careLessons for mothers“I am one of four trained TBAs in this community and no woman has died under my watch because I make it a point to ensure that all the pregnant women who come to me attend the nearest health facility after providing them with first aid. I make sure they received skilled assistance at all costs. Just look at this place. It is so hard to get to the hospital so if you don’t encourage the women, they will die in their homes or on your delivery bed when compications set in.” she added.Mad. Grace encourages women in her community to attend antenatal clinics consistently. “Sometimes I get emergencies and I know that any delay in seeking skilled assistance can lead to death. I therefore ensure that women in such condition are transferred to the hospital immediately.Madam Grace cited transport costs from the community to the health facility as a constraint – the reason for which some women report to untrained TBAs who later refer those women to her when complications arise. In her estimation, many women in the area do not have money to afford transportation to the hospital and therefore will rather visit a TBA within the village.“I always advise them to mobilise some money during pregnancy to take care of emergencies when they arise to increase their rate of survival.”She had a simple message for women: “Maternal care in Ghana is free. Report at the facility where skilled personnel provide proper care. I can only help to an extent. Everything else depends on the choices you make”For your contribution to the survival of pregnant women in Biriwa despite the harsh economic conditions, MamaYe Ghana salutes you Madam Grace Sackey.Click here for more MamaYe blogs