Vodafone Celebrates Valentine’s Day

With An Act Of Kindness To Hospital Patients

Accra, Ghana. 14 February: Vodafone Ghana today paid the outstanding medical bills of over two hundred and thirty insolvent patients in hospitals around the country, allowing hospitals to release them to go home to spend Valentine’s Day with their loved ones. In a repeat of last year’s hugely successful exercise, Vodafone this year also included the registration of one hundred HIV positive patients on the NHIS scheme.

Speaking at Korle Bu Hospital in Accra where some Vodafone employees had volunteered to distribute handsets and other souvenirs to the insolvent patients being released, Head of Corporate Communications, Carmen Bruce-Annan, explained why the telecommunications giant decided to repeat the initiative. ‘The impact of what we did last year on the patients and the hospitals cannot be underestimated. Being admitted to hospital is tough enough, some of these patients have undergone traumatic surgery, but they also have to worry about where to find the money to pay the bill for their treatment. This worry will invariably affect their recovery as they are kept away from the most important support system – their families. The hospital administration does a great job in trying to accommodate individuals in this situation but they also need the bills paid in order to treat the next patient. It feels good that Vodafone can step in again and offer relief for both the patients and the hospital, especially on Valentine’s Day.’

Overall, one hundred Vodafone employees visited Tamale West Hospital and Walewale Hospital in the Northern Region, Atonsu Agogo Hospital and KNUST Hospital in the Ashanti Region, Takoradi Hospital in the Western Region and Ridge Hospital, Tema General Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Lekma General Hospital in Greater Accra to extend a feeling of love and kindness to the patients.

Indeed, Vodafone employees have been busy in this month of love with a fundraising challenge to raise GHC 50,000 within the company to help victims of Obstetric Fistula. The condition results from a severe or failed childbirth where victims are also subject to severe social stigma due to odour, perceptions of uncleanliness, a mistaken assumption of venereal disease and, in some cases, the inability to have children. Employees donated items which were auctioned among themselves to raise as much funds as possible. One Vodafone employee remarked ‘It’s really up to you; how you interpret the concept of love on Valentine’s Day and how you celebrate it. We have chosen to think of the people who will not feel the significance of a day like this. We want to show our love by changing their circumstances and giving them a reason to smile. Not only do these women have to go through the trauma of having a difficult childbirth or worse, losing their child, they are often ostracised by society. It only costs GHC 500 to give these women their lives back and we will do our best to help as many of these women as possible.’

Vodafone Ghana has made a great contribution to the health sector in the last year and continues to do so with impactful initiatives such as these.

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For further information, please contact the Vodafone Ghana Press Information Line on
020 340 1313. You can also connect with Vodafone Ghana at: www.facebook.com/vodafoneghana
About Vodafone Ghana
Vodafone Ghana is an operating company of Vodafone Group Plc., the number one telecoms brand in the world and one of the most valuable global brands with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States.
Vodafone Ghana is a total communications solutions provider - mobile, fixed lines, internet, voice and data - and is currently unmatched in providing fixed line and internet services - the leader and the first choice for Ghanaians.