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First IUI quadruplets delivered in Ghana
A 30-year-old surrogate mother has delivered a set of quadruplets at The Walking Egg Medical and Fertility Centre at Pokuase in Accra, in a rare surrogacy success that has brought renewed attention to assisted reproductive care in Ghana.
The babies-two boys and two girls- were delivered through a caesarean section in the early hours of Tuesday at 36 weeks and weighed an average 2.5 kilograms each, a weight doctors say was healthy for a multiple pregnancy.
IUI stands for Intrauterine Insemination, a common fertility treatment where healthy sperm are collected, ‘washed’ and concentrated in a lab, and then directly inserted into a woman’s uterus around ovulation using a thin catheter to help sperm reach the egg for fertilisation, often used for unexplained infertility, cervical issues, or mild male factor infertility, and is less invasive than IVF.
Speaking to The Spectator after the surgery, the Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Nana Yaw Osei, said the pregnancy was achieved through Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and was not planned to result in multiple births.
“With IUI, you introduce prepared sperm into the uterus and have no control over how many eggs fertilized.”
“Unlike IVF, where embryos are formed outside the body and the number transferred can be controlled, this outcome was left entirely to nature,” Dr Osei explained.
He said unlike IVF which could result in multiple babies, this is “possibly the first IUI leading to quadruplets in Ghana.”
He revealed that the surrogacy arrangement was necessary because the intended mother had lost her uterus during surgery to remove fibroids, making it medically impossible for her to carry a pregnancy.
“She had no womb of her own, through no fault of hers,” Dr Osei said, adding that “Surrogacy was the only option available for her to have a biological child.”
When scans later showed that the surrogate was carrying four fetuses, the medical team considered fetal reduction, a procedure sometimes used to reduce risks in multiple pregnancies. However, the option was rejected.
“As a strong Christian, fetal reduction is abortion to me,” Dr Osei said. “After discussions with the intended parents and the surrogate, we all agreed to continue with the pregnancy.”
Despite concerns commonly associated with multiple pregnancies, Dr Osei noted that the surrogate experienced no major complications, and the delivery was smooth. Paediatric assessments conducted after birth confirmed that all four babies are healthy.
Dr Osei again indicated that surrogacy, though still widely misunderstood, is recognised under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 2020 (Act 1027).
He urged the public to engage the subject with greater understanding.
“Surrogacy is not about convenience,” he said. “It is about restoring hope to people who have lost the ability to carry a child.”
Describing the moment of delivery, he added, “I was in tears in the theatre. It reminded me why I chose this profession.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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Member of Parliament for Kpandai constituency, Matthew Nyindam, has argued that he would have defeated the National Democratic Congress candidate if a rerun election had been held, insisting that his loss was a battle against the power of the state rather than a fair contest.
Nyindam explained that his legal challenge to the 2024 parliamentary election was based on irregularities in four polling stations.
He noted that his team expected the court to address those specific concerns, not to order a fresh election across the entire constituency.
According to him, the decision to rerun the election confirmed what he described as a long standing pattern of unfair conduct by the NDC in Kpandai.
He added that he anticipated the chance to appeal the ruling but was surprised when Parliament later declared his seat vacant.
Nyindam stressed that the declaration of the seat left him feeling unfairly treated.
He maintained that he won the election clearly and believed the process that followed was aimed at removing him from Parliament prematurely.
He further stated that the situation turned into a contest between himself and the state.
He explained that running against the full weight of government made the election difficult, as ministers, MPs, chief executives and other officials were actively involved in campaigning, with resources flowing into the constituency.
Despite these challenges, Nyindam expressed confidence in his political strength, stating that under normal circumstances he would have beaten his opponent comfortably.
He added that he ultimately left the outcome in the hands of God, believing that destiny would determine whether he returned to Parliament.
Nyindam concluded that although the experience was painful, he believes it will serve a greater purpose in his political journey.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, has admitted that the party did not achieve its desired results in the Ashanti Region during the 2024 general election but maintained that the region remained the party’s strongest support base.
Addressing the media after a post election review, Wontumi said the party quickly set up a regional committee to investigate the reasons for the loss and to propose solutions.
He explained that a subcommittee was tasked to study what went wrong and recommend ways to improve future performance.
According to him, the committee’s report highlighted both the party’s mistakes and areas that need improvement.
He noted that the party has taken lessons from the findings and is ready to make changes.
Wontumi stressed that he learns quickly and is committed to applying the recommendations.
He emphasized that despite not meeting expectations, votes from the Ashanti Region significantly contributed to the party’s overall national performance.
He explained that the region pushed the party to the final figures it recorded in the 2024 election and still produced more votes than any other region.
Wontumi added that a post mortem of the results would show that the Ashanti Region performed better than others, even though the party fell short of its target.
He described the region’s effort as commendable.
He said the party now understands what voters in the Ashanti Region expect and assured them that the NPP will engage them better and work to meet their needs in future elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
