Maternity Project at St Francis Xavier hospital

Current Maternity Block

This hospital provides mother and child care for the population in Foso

St Francis Xavier Hospital has a special unit for women and children. The maternity unit provide them with holistic care from medicine and vaccinations to birth assistance and gynaecology. This assistance, therefore, requires a continuous supply of resources to be able to provide such care. For instance, new medication and vaccinations to fight the common diseases among newborns. The hospital is located in Foso (Ghana) and provides medical care to a around 207.000 people. Therefore, it requires constant resources to keep on providing service to the population nearby.

Over the years of its existence, the current Maternity Block has served the facility and the community very well however its current capacity is overstretched as a result of the ever-increasing number of pregnant women and babies seen at the unit.

What is the final goal?

The proposed new maternity block is going to accommodate the Antenatal Clinic (ANC), as well as both obstetrics and Gynaecological cases (both cold cases and emergencies). We, therefore, anticipate adequate bed occupancy in the new maternity block. We also envisage an increase in patient attendance and would humbly like a structure that would help ease congestion in the future.

The current maternity block Vs the new maternity block

The current Maternity Block of the facility is the oldest existing structure of the hospital. In the current set up of the current block, obstetrics and gynecological patients are distributed as follows: the pregnant women are admitted to the maternity block, whiles those who present in early pregnancy with complications are first admitted to the (Accident & Emergency) unit before being admitted to the surgical ward or the maternity block. All the Gynaecological cases are admitted to the surgical ward.

The current maternity block has 35 beds (including those on the corridors) and 5 delivery beds making a total of 40 beds. The surgical ward (35 bed capacity) currently accommodates Gynaecological cases as well as general surgical patients.

Construction of the new maternity block

The processes leading to the start of the maternity project began when the need for a new Maternity Unit was identified as a result of the inability of the current unit of the facility to cater to the ever-increasing numbers. The project was planned with the support of a Consultant, named Buy Shelter Company Ltd. The project was submitted to the Provincial and General for approval because it was an extraordinary idea. The scheme got the approval of the Congregation in the year 2016. The project was planned to be executed in phases due to its nature and volume. After several efforts to seek donor support proved difficult, management decided to begin the project with their internally generated funds of the hospital, whiles further efforts were being made to seek funding.

As stated earlier the project was planned to be in three main phases. The first phase involved the foundation and putting the superstructure up to roofing. The second phase involved the finishing and installation of electrical installation. The third phase involved equipment and external works.

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Background

St. Francis Xavier Hospital as it is currently known started as a small community Clinic by the Assin District Council in the early 1950s and managed by the Council as well. The establishment of the Clinic was highly motivated by the trio, namely; Afotuakwa, Atendansu and Apemanim Traditional Councils.

In their quest to embrace modern health care delivery coupled with the deepest confidence, they had in the Catholic Health Delivery Systems, the trio extended an invitation to the late Most Rev. John Kwadwo Amissah, the then Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of the Metropolitan Province of Cape Coast and Sekondi/Takoradi Dioceses. The Archbishop gracefully accepted the invitation to treat and took over the administration of the Clinic, placed it under the control and management of various religious orders of the Church.

Finally, in 1965, the Congregation of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus took control. Under the Sisters Hospitallers, the hospital was upgraded to the District Hospital status. Until 1988, the hospital was simply known as Foso Catholic Hospital, but when it was christened, the name of the hospital became St. Francis Xavier Hospital and so it has been known to date. At present, the hospital is a full member of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). Currently, it has bed compliment of 135 and a catchment population of over 230,000, serving both within Assin areas and beyond.