Pastor arrested for keeping anaemic mother and twin babies at church

Health officials at the Tema Manhean Polyclinic have led the Police to arrest the pastor of the Elohim Life Church International, for keeping an anaemic mother and her newly born babies at the church premises.

Mr Joshua Agudah, the Assembly member for Dade Agbo Electoral Area in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, where the church is located, confirmed the incident, saying he uncovered the lady at the church after being informed about her condition.

It was gathered from the clinic that the woman, who is in her early 20s and was pregnant with twins, was transferred to the Tema General Hospital (TGH) some weeks ago due to a low haemoglobin level and other complications.

The source noted that checks at the TGH indicated that she continued her antenatal care there after the transfer, but she later reported with her twin babies to the Manhean Polyclinic on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, after allegedly delivering at the church.

Upon checking the woman and her twins, the midwives on duty transferred them from the polyclinic back to TGH and called the hospital to inform them.

Further checks revealed that the pastor, instead of sending the woman to the TGH, sent her to his church.

This came to light when the midwives called the hospital on Thursday, May 4, 2023, to do a follow-up on the patient.

Suspecting the pastor, they informed the Assembly member and the police, which led to his arrest and the rescue of the twin babies and their mother, who health officials said was suffering from a running temperature and severe anaemia with an HB level of six.

According to the source at the time of the arrest, they saw other pregnant women, and other women with their babies, seeking prayers at the church.

However, sources said the family members of the woman with the twins went to the polyclinic to verbally assault the health officials for taking the woman and the babies from the said church.

Meanwhile, Dr Joseph Donkor, Medical Director of the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, has bemoaned the high level of anaemia among pregnant women in Manhean, noting that some of them do not eat, leading to nurses and midwives having to buy food for them when they visit the hospital.

He revealed this at a recently held Annual Performance Review organized by the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, where it was disclosed that anaemia was a major cause of the 23 maternal deaths recorded in the Metropolis for the year 2022.

“Some of them eat kenkey without fish; they will tell you that their husbands are not taking care of them; sometimes we, the health providers, are even supposed to pay and give them money to go and buy food, especially when they stay longer at the facility,” he revealed.

He said the issue was a big challenge for health officials at the Manhean Polyclinic, adding that in an effort to address the challenge, they have started a series of stakeholder engagements.