Labour on the Floor: A Grim Reality for Expectant Mothers in Damongo

At the Saint Anne’s Catholic Hospital in Damongo, expectant mothers are being forced to deliver and recover on the floor due to a severe shortage of hospital beds. On any given day, about 10 to 12 women face this ordeal, a situation that not only undermines their dignity but also threatens Ghana’s progress toward achieving zero maternal and child mortality.

The scene is distressing. Pregnant women lie on thin mats in overcrowded wards as nurses and relatives navigate narrow spaces between them. For families, the experience is both humiliating and frightening. “I brought my patient here in the morning but there were no beds,” recalls Samira Amadu, a patient’s relative. “We were delayed until the afternoon, and she was still admitted to the floor. People walk around, and patients are lying on the ground. This is dangerous for their health.”

The Saint Anne’s Hospital, formerly West Gonja Hospital, is the largest referral facility in the western part of the Savannah Region. Managed by the Catholic Church under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), it serves communities spread across vast rural areas with specialties in emergency, maternity, surgery, and dental care. Despite its critical role, the hospital faces crippling infrastructure gaps that hinder the delivery of quality care.

According to Dr. Nelson Agboadoh, the Medical Superintendent, the absence of a dedicated maternity block has pushed the facility to its limits. “Our maternity ward was initially designed as a theatre, but we had to convert it into a ward because we don’t have a proper maternity block,” he explained. “We can only admit 15 people to beds, so when more pregnant women come in, we have no option but to admit them to the floor.”

This challenge is not isolated to Damongo. Ghana faces a nationwide hospital bed deficit, with only 0.9 beds per 1,000 people, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of 5 per 1,000. The consequences are grave—women and newborns are exposed to preventable infections, delayed interventions, and emotional trauma during one of life’s most vulnerable moments.

Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health called for equitable distribution of health resources across facilities, including those managed by CHAG. However, the situation in Damongo shows that implementation remains far from adequate.

Turning Point Foundation calls on the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and all relevant stakeholders to prioritize immediate investment in maternal health infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions like Savannah. The construction of a dedicated maternity block at St. Anne’s Hospital should be treated as a matter of urgency, not convenience.

Every woman deserves to give birth in safety and dignity—not on a hospital floor. Addressing these systemic gaps is not just about beds and buildings; it is about valuing human life and ensuring that no mother or child suffers due to neglect and unequal access to care.

Turning Point Foundation remains committed to advocating for maternal health equity and accountability across Ghana’s health system. The lives of our mothers and children depend on it.

Source: 3new.com