Kumasi (ASH), Jan 20, - 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.
GNA
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