The ‘Kokrokoo’ Charities Foundation, has initiated a campaign to equip neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of health facilities, nationwide, with incubators.
The campaign is titled: “Project 100 Incubators,” and was initiated in 2015 with the goal of raising funds to purchase a total of 100 incubators for health facilities across the country.
This is aimed at reducing the mortality rate of children born prematurely or pre-term- babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
According to the Foundation, the first beneficiary health facilities include Nsawam Government Hospital, Prestea Government Hospital, Police Hospital, and La General Hospital, in Accra.
Each of the facilities will have an incubator installed in support of neonatal care, explained Mr Dennis Adutwum, Director of Programmes of the Foundation.
The four hospitals were chosen based on a needs assessment carried out by the Foundation and on account of the huge volume of cases that access the facilities on daily basis.
Nsawam Government Hospital was recognised by the assessment as a key health service provider for a population of about 120,000.
Its services are accessed by a wider catchment area over and above its capacity and this includes residents of Akuapem South District which has no hospital, East Akim District, and Suhum among others.
The nearest referral for Nsawam Hospital, when required, is the nation’s premier hospital, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
This happens particularly in the case where neonatal intensive care is required to save the life of a preterm baby or to manage other neonatal medical conditions in the absence of an incubator.
Dr Kofi Ablorh, the Hospital Medical Superintendent, indicated that the volume of preterm cases, on the average, is on the increase and that for the first quarter of this year, 39 preterm deliveries have been recorded.
This, he says, is far beyond the capacity of the hospital with only one incubator.
He expressed the hope that government, in the midst of existing challenges would find some resources to equip the hospital.
He, however, challenged the public, individuals and corporate bodies, NGOs and civil society organisations to help raise funds for the purchase of medical equipment particularly, incubators.
In selecting, the Prestea Government Hospital, a survey noted that the nearest referral for the facility and for Neonatal care was at Takoradi, some 145 kilometres away.
This posed a great challenge for the management of preterm cases that required the full components of the Kangaroo Mother Care to survive as the hospital had no incubator for neonatal intensive care services.
The La General and Police Hospitals, however, were selected based on the heavy patronage they received daily, besides serving as emergency referrals for almost all the polyclinics and private medical facilities in Accra with a high level of out-patient pressure.
Benefactors, so far, supporting the delivery of Project 100 Incubators by their cash donations include: Tropical Cable, Stanbic Bank, Unilever Gh, Japan motors, 2nd Image Academy, Goil Ghana Limited, Excel Oil, Capital Bank, Beige Foundation, Subscribers Depot, Skynet Express Delivery, as well as Churches, Mosques and individuals.
According to Mr Adutwum, the prohibitive cost of one incubator makes it a challenge for government alone, even with political will, to face the task of equipping major facilities with the optimum number of incubators.
It, therefore, requires the collaboration of individuals, civil society organisations and corporate institutions to make donations towards the purchase of such capital intensive equipment.
In furtherance of its campaign, Mr Adutwum revealed that ‘Kokrokoo’ Charities Foundation will soon launch a fund-raising event, raffle for a cause, to raise funds in support of Project 100 Incubators.
The major organisations and institutional partners for the fundraising include: National Lotteries Authority/Carittas, Ministry of Health, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Association of Ghana Industries.
Partners supporting the raffle with products are: Unilever Ghana, CFAO, Fanmilk Ghana Limited, Melcom, Electroland, Niche Cocoa Industry and Societe Generale Bank Ltd, Promasidor, Allied Oil, Goil, Blessed Child Foods, NALLEM Clothing, GTP, Beauty Secrets Cosmetics, Engen, Grid Oil, and Nkulenu.
Source: GNA
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Hi I am a Jewelry company and I wish to be a part of this life saving and wonderful project initiatives. How do I get in contact with you. Thanks.
Thanks Senior for this and don't mind those who just write .God bless you .I want to suggest any star(actor or musician ) to join in this.
YOu could have done more if your platform fairly attack corrupt and wastage in the system. You watch these leaders to lie and keep lying, wasting the resources of the country. Tell me SEFA KAI, WHAT TRIGGERED YOUR EFFORT OF BUYING THOSE INCUBATORS FOR THE HOSPITAL? You and your mangers are mere waste and you need to be thrown into the bins. THe youth would attack the leaders soon. We are watching this government for the first term and if they continue practicing that corruption thing, the SILENT MAJORITY would speak.
100 incubators for Hospitals and you are happy? Your actions could have earned the hospital and the country more than that. There wouldnt have been the need for you to buy those incubators if you would have been practicing good journalism. You watch these corrupt officials on your programme to tell lies to the people without even doing a follow-up. The major political parties leaders are on your program every morning lying to the people. If I become a leader or join forces, the first radio station to attack would be PEACE FM. You are doing a great harm to the country. You create a platform for liars and propagandas. your time would come very soon.
PEACE fm hopefully you guys do watch CNN . Are you viewing how CNN is covering folks faces who have been hurt @ the Manchester? This is called professionalism. On peace fm webpage they show everything vividly an example naked woman with a her child during last 2 years filling station blast that many lives were lost. Educate yourselves on how to carry sensitive news.
What a stuuupiid country we live in !!! In a country where health care is primarily financed by the government in the public sector yet the government buys more landcruisers than fire tenders , ambulances and incubators for preterm babies .? We full rough black people , look around the globe and you won't find a single country with a black majority that is doing well and has its stuff together. Jamaica , Haiti , Ghana etc .A basket full of deplorable countries obsessed ***barred word*** . Kudos Kwame Sefa and co ,God bless you . And to all those greedy politicians and public officials plunging our country in destitution, may your ways be full of sorry , pain and agony .
Great job guys, thank you for such a good work
GOOD STUFF !!!!!!!KWAME SEFA KAYI ;SAFEING GOD'S CREATION IS A A GREAT BLESSING !!!!!!TO ALL AT YOUR STATION .
Ordinarily, one should find such efforts admirable but when so much government money is wasted daily, wouldn't we achieve more if 'Kokrokoo' uses its platform to attack wastage by government?
KWAME AND CO. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU ALL FOR THIS EFFORT