<<Print>>

The Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, under its "Project 100" programme has presented an incubator to the Nsawam Government Hospital in the Eastern region to augment the provision of health care to neonatal babies at the hospital.

The $10,000 worth Isolette C2000 model infant incubator was installed at the Hospital on Saturday by a team from the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation and officials of Beige Foundation, one of the financial partners of the Foundation. Under the Project 100 programme, Kokroko Charities, founded by Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of the Kokrokoo morning show on Peace FM, a local radio station based in Accra, is targeting the installation of 100 incubators to hospitals all over the country.

Mr Dennis Adutwum, Programmes Manager of Kokrokoo Charities said the incubator was the fourth to be installed after three others had been installed at the La General Hospital, Prestea Government Hospital and the Police Hospital.

He explained that the Foundation was set up two years ago to help solve the many societal issues that Kwami, popularly, referred to as "Chairman-General" discussed on his radio programme daily. He said the issue of lack of incubators in most hospitals to save the lives of pre-mature (Preterm) babies became so topical some time back, and thus Kwami decided to intervene and raise funds to acquire incubators for the hospitals.

He mentioned Unilever Ghana Limited and Capital Bank as some of the sponsors helping the Foundation to purchase the incubators, adding that the next installation would be done at the Tamale Government Hospital soon while 10 more would also be distributed later.

Mr Adutwum noted that a climaxing fund raising events would be organised in June, which would also coincide with the birthday of Kwami, the Founder, to mobilise more funds to purchase the rest of the incubators for the project.

He assured authorities of the Nsawam Hospital that the team would be visiting the facility from time to time to assess the needs and help provide equipment as needed.

Dr Kofi Ablorh, Medical Superintendent together with Ms Stella Lena Woana, Head of Nursing, both on behalf of the hospital received the incubator and expressed their joy over the critical role the equipment would offer in caring for babies.

Dr Ablorh said the location of the Hospital, which was sandwiched by Akwapim South and East Akim districts, made it a critical facility offering health delivery services to greater number of the surrounding population.

He said many pregnant women also patronised the facility and that between, January and March this year, out of the 1,400 deliveries, 39 preterm deliveries were recorded, of which six babies died at the Hospital.

He said the hospital which had enough space for 10 incubators, only had one and that the current Incubator donated by the Foundation, would be the second, adding that it would go a long way to help in saving the lives of more babies.

Dr Ablorh noted that the hospital also encouraged skin to skin baby care also known as "Kangaroo system" in caring for preterm babies. He urged other corporate bodies to come in to support such public facilities to enable them function properly since government alone could not do it all.