The former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church and former President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Rev. Professor Paul Frimpong Manso, has said that children who are born preterm shouldn't be left to die due to lack of facilities or life saving equipment.

Sharing his own story as a survival of premature birth, the highly respected man of God emotionally revealed that such children could be great persons in the future if we took good care of them. to inspire a new

Rev Prof Paul Frimpong Manso who had gone to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he was born, delivered a message of hope to mothers and children at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU).

Rev. Prof. Frimpong Manso reflected on the vast differences between the old facilities where he was born and the modern Baby Care Unit which currently houses most of these children.

"When I think about these children, I think back to the old building. As a Pastor here, I used to visit the wards, but this is my first time seeing this new facility. My history with this place is deep. I was told that when I was born, I was so small, a premature baby of about seven months. Some of my family members used to nickname me after the premature birth. I spent so much time here just trying to survive."

He further opined that a facility like the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital which operates as a referral unit for about 12 regions, especially when it comes to preterm issues, should not lack life saving equipment that will eventually lead to the death of these innocent souls.



As part of his birthday celebration, the renowned man of God visited the facility to donate two life saving incubators to help preterm babies. Before the presentation, the Rev Minister and his wife had already funded the repainting of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In addition to all these, he donated a physical cash of Gh¢20, 000 to help the baby unit.

Speaking further on his current move, the Man of God noted that while he was saved by the grace of God decades ago, he felt a burden to help modern-day infants who face the same struggle for survival but lack the necessary equipment.

According to him, his vision was discussed with his wife, and they decided to take the step to support the hospital's neonatal unit. "I thought about the many people who go through this today those who need the machines and equipment that kept me alive all those years ago. I told my wife, and we decided to purchase these incubators."

The man of God who is so passionate about the well-being of these kids, further disclosed that he was going to be an ambassador to this project where he is going to advocate for people to support this unit to help save children who are born preterm or suffer from other complications.
He said, he wished to do more but since his resources were limited, he is volunteering himself as an ambassador.

He is therefore calling on individuals, philanthropists, churches, well to do individuals, corporate bodies, friends, and family to join him as he journeys on this mission. Adding that no child should die simply because they were born premature.

"I have only one seat and my resources are limited, but I have opened this vision to my friends and partners to share in this responsibility. I believe that no child should die from being born preterm. This is the solution we believe in, and this is our mission. I'm therefore appealing to each and everyone to join and support in this mission. He appealed.



Professor Dr. Sampson Antwi, Head of Childcare department at the Komfo Anokye Medical School and former head of the hospital's childcare unit, thanked the Rev Minister and his family for such a thoughtful benevolence. According to him, the facility which accommodates about 12 regions as a referral unit, has always been in need of these crucial equipment due to the number of these preterm babies they admit. Adding that despite having professional and competent doctors, the lack of enough equipment at the facility sometimes causes a challenge.

Thanking him and his team for the gesture, the Professor called for more hands to help the facility gain a full facelift.

Speaking about the seriousness and causes of preterm issues, the Professor issued a passionate appeal to pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly to avoid complications that lead to premature births.

Dr. Antwi explained that regular check-ups are essential for detecting hidden health risks. Adding that conditions such as low blood count (anemia) and high blood pressure (hypertension) are major contributing factors to preterm births. "If these are not monitored through regular hospital visits, they can result in babies being born before their due dates, often with severe health challenges". He concluded.