First Lady Commits to Help Improve the Health Sector

First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has announced that the next project under her Rebecca’s Special Initiative is the construction of an intensive care unit at the children’s block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

She said the project would begin in February and that she would need the support of all stakeholders to raise funds for the project.

“Again I will be calling on Ghanaians to help the Foundation do this”, Mrs Akufo-Addo said at the inauguration of the newly built Mother and Baby Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

The KATH facility, named as Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II Centre,  after the late Asantehemaa,  was completed within a five month period following a resource mobilisation drive led by the First Lady in May last year.

Many well-meaning Ghanaians and corporate entities responded to the two appeals organised by the First Lady in collaboration with the Multi Media group and Asantemaa, held both in Accra and Kumasi.

The 2.5 million dollar facility is expected to help reduce the high infant and maternal mortality that is being recorded by the KATH over the years due to lack of space and hospital equipment.

Expressing her joy over the facility, Mrs Akufo-Addo said her Rebecca Foundation was committed to the welfare of women and children in the areas of health, education and economic well-being of women.

“We have started a number of initiatives to address social issues in these areas. The Foundation has an initiative called Rebecca’s Special Initiative, which executed the Komfo Anokye Mother and Baby Unit.

“We are currently supporting Korle Bu to build a hostel for parents of children receiving cancer treatment” she said.

Mrs Akufo-Addo said the Sustainable Development Goal 3 enjoins countries to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all and that included taking steps to lower maternal and infant mortality rates.

“My hope is that projects like this, together with needed interventions like the elimination of mother to child HIV transmission, will get us closer to achieving our maternal and infant mortality goals.

She expressed thanks to all Ghanaians and friends of Ghana, including the Japanese Government who supported the Kumasi project.

She also commended Mrs Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady who, she said had been with her every step of the way.

She thanked the Asantehene, Nana Osei Tutu II, and Lady Julia Osei Tutu Wife of Asantehene, the Multimedia group and Seth Kwame Boateng, the journalist, who did the documentary on the deplorable state of the old Maternity and Baby Unit, and other media houses who had given the project the needed publicity in airtime and column inches.

She commended the staff of the Rebecca Foundation who worked tirelessly and with passion to see to the completion of the project as well as the staff of Komfo Anokye who collaborated with the contactor on design and approval processes.

She thanked the Africa Building Partners, who executed the world class facility in record time and within budget, that had also earned EDGE certification, a group affiliated to the IFC/ World Bank, for being the only green hospital in Africa.

Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Minister of Health, commended the Rebecca Foundation for giving such a significant facility to the health sector, describing the partnership as the first major domestic partner to the Ministry of Health.

He urged Management of KATH to do a quarterly assessment of the Centre to ensure a proper management and maintenance of the facility.

Source: GNA