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Regional News of Thursday, 27 November 2003

Source: GNA

Two charity organisations build children's ward

Tarkwa (W/R), Nov. 27, GNA- Two female charity organisations have built children's ward worth 500 million cedis for the Tarkwa Government Hospital.

The organisation are Tarkwa Ladies Clubs made up of wives of expatriates working in the mining companies in the area and Damsel, female employees of African Mining Services (AMS).

The ward has a capacity for 30 children and is furnished with modern equipment.

Commissioning the ward Mrs Sophia Hornar-Sam, the Deputy Western Regional Minister, commended the two organisations for the donation and appealed to the authorities and staff to ensure that the structure was properly maintained.

She assured the gathering that government would continue to provide resources to promote health care delivery and appealed to all to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme so that they would have access to health care in times of need.

In an address read for him the Regional Director of health Services, Dr Francis Ocran said one of the objectives of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ghana Health Services (GHS) in promoting partnerships for health is to strengthen the role of the community, civil society and community based organisations.

Dr Ocran, who is also the Regional Head of paediatrics, assured the gathering that they would always provide quality care and asked the communities to support them.

Enumerating some of the problems facing the hospital, Dr Ebenezer Acquah, the Principal Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, said the hospital is congested and the wards are constantly overcrowded.

He said the hospital especially the theatre, wards and the Out Patient Department (OPD) also leak profusely whenever it rains while supply of electricity is not adequate and inefficient.

Dr Acquah expressed appreciation for the immense contributions given so far by the women to the hospital and particularly for the new ward, which he said would impact a lot on their performance as health care providers.

Miss Fawzia Amo Abudu, secretary of Damsel, said the ward is an act of love and kindness in concrete manifestation adding that "act of love and kindness flow from the breast of women".

Formed three years ago, she said the over-riding objective of the club members is to help fellow human beings from deprivation, poverty, disease and hunger.

With children being the target, Miss Abudu said, the club has eight needy children whose schools fees and textbooks are provided by the club. The club has provided seed capital to 10 women to engage in income generating activities, she said.