Ghanaian Diaspora Donates Medical Equipment to Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital
Mr. Collins Woode, Founder, Care for Aged Foundation, a non governmental organization based in Denmark has presented an assorted medical equipment valued at 42, 000.00 Euros (Ghc2.5 million) to the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital to enhance healthcare delivery.
The items includes five boxes of eyeglasses, 29 remote controlled electronic hospital beds, 42 mattresses, one bedside table, six toilet chair, 25 wheelchair, 24 bath bench, 12 walking frame, nine tall chair, 12 computers, one relaxing chair, 322 boxers of hospital equipment, one lift for humans, 21 crutches and 22 gripping pilers.
The rest are 75 paper towels, one children’s bed, two printers, two tires, one respiratory, one refrigerator, one examination couch, two IV poles, six bags of hospital clothes, one ultrasound scanner, one pallet of paint, one rehabilitation device, one box of tools, one stroller and one stool.
Making the presentation, Mr. Woode revealed that the gesture forms part of an initiative to export Danish healthcare system to elderly people in Ghana.
“We have sent similar equipment to Swedru and Pentecost Hospitals. We have 10 old age villages caring for over 3000 old persons in Accra. There are volunteers from Denmark who fly in every month to offer training to recruits to enable them cater for such elderly persons, ” he added.
He indicated that he had familiarised himself with the Presbyterian Midwifery Nurses Training School in Dormaa-Ahenkro on his arrival and had plan to set up a unit to train students to take care and provide healthcare services to the aged.
Mr. Woode further stated that the Foundation is working with the government to set up a system which would offer professional training services in that area and looking out for investors who would partner the Foundation to build infrastructure to support the initiative.
Receiving the items, Mr. Isaac Appiah, the General Manager, Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital, thanked Mr Woode Mensah for the symbolic gesture in supporting the Hospital to provide efficient, reliable and effective healthcare to people in the area and beyond.
Narrating how he came into contact with Mr Woode, he said he had had conversations on whatsapp with him in November last year through the effort of Dr. Yao Yeboah, the Governing Council Chairman of Ghana Health Service where they explored possibilities of him assisting the Hospital.
Mr. Appiah added that Mr Woode finally agreed and expressed willingness and the desire to assist the Hospital with the equipment and to show a sign of commitment and truthfulness to his word “started sending pictures of some of the medical equipment he had procured in Denmark by March this year”.
“By September 23, the 40 feet container arrived in Ghana, the only cost that the Hospital bore was cost of the container and shipment all at Ghc 64, 000.00. All other cost were taken by Mr Woode, ” he said.
He stated that in anticipation that the equipment would be safely delivered to destination without problems, Mr Woode bought his own ticket and flew from Denmark to Ghana and will again fly out at his own expense now that the items have been handed over to the Hospital.
“Mr Woode spent one month frequenting the various offices at Ministries to ensure that the items were exemption free, ” he reiterated.
He stated that Mr Woode was one of the key persons in Denmark who helped established school for the aged in Denmark and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with government to set up Old Age Villages in Accra.
“He wants to replicate that laudable idea in Dormaa and has promised to procure an ambulance for the Hospital, stock the Library, as well as the place for demonstration reserved for women, he had visited some of the wards and taken pictures as well,” he stated.
Dr. John Ekow Otoo, Deputy Bono Regional Director of Health, Public Health, heaped praises on Mr Woode for his kindness and philanthropic effort in the face of limited budgetary constraints and challenges bedevilling the health sector.
He said the GHS is committed to providing and improving quality healthcare delivery and advised health personnel to give customers an ‘experience worth remembering’ to achieve this goal.
Dr Yao Yeboah, the Governing Council Chairman of Ghana Health Service, asked for the training of officers to ensure strict compliance to the maintenance of the equipment so it last long.
He appealed to Ghanaians to go for regular physical exercises to avoid contracting non communicable diseases like diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and heart diseases to promote good, healthy living.
Reverend Daniel Boseah Gyinantwi, West Brong Presbytery Chairman, expressed sincere gratitude to Mr Woode, stressing his donations would augment those generated by the Hospital and wished for God’s blessing for him.
He said it’s part of holistic ministry of the Presbyterian Church to provide both the physical and spiritual needs of the people, and urged hospital staff to remain committed and hard working to their call reminding them that they do it in service to God.
Barimah Oppong Yaw Boabasa, the Gyaasehene of Dormaa Traditional Area, expressed appreciation to the Presbyterian Church for the immense contribution it has made towards the development of Dormaa particularly in the educational and health sectors.
By: Robert Tachie Menson
