Low-cost lifesaver: Rural midwife designs basket for emergency newborn transfers in Bosomtwe

Margaret Ako Tsakle, a rural midwife, designed a basket for emergency newborn transfers in Bosomtwe after starting work at St. Mary's Anglican Clinic in Apinkra in 2016 as the only midwife. She recalls, "Every referral, we placed the baby on our laps with the necessary items. Sometimes, we even forgot some of the things in the car while in a rush."

The Emergency Traveling Basket is handmade and rectangular, designed to securely hold a newborn during transfers and withstand rough roads. It includes space for the baby, an intravenous infusion, a cord clamp, a thermometer, referral notes, the maternal record book, diapers, clothing, and a cot sheet. A colleague midwife explained that "With the emergency traveling basket, it has become easier to care for the babies."

Margaret has shared the design with other health facilities across the district and demonstrated it at a meeting of facility heads.