MTN Ghana Foundation breaks ground for Its Largest Emergency Care Facility in Asikuma

MTN Ghana Foundation has performed a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a modern fully equipped 60 bed, two story Accident and Emergency (A and E) block for the Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital in Breman Asikuma in the Central Region of Ghana.

The proposed A and E center is expected to be the largest emergency care facility the MTN Ghana Foundation has ever constructed. And it is percieved to transform how emergency health care is delivered in the area and beyond.

The investment is in conformity with SDG3, which calls on governments, businesses and citizens to ensure healthy lives and to promote wellbieng for all, says the Executive Secretary of MTN Ghana Foundation, Robert Kudzoe.

In an address, Mr Kudzoe pointed out that “Emergency care is not new ground for MTN. We built the Accident and Emergency Center at the Bawjiase Polyclinic and this year, we handed over a Thirty-five bed Accident and Emergency block at the Ho Teachimg Hospital”.

He further stated that the MTN Ghana Foundation, which was established in 2007 had as its focused areas as Health , Education and Economic empowerment.

“Across the sixteen reigions of the country, you’ll find the foundation’s footprint. The foundation recently refurbished over three thousand hospital beds in health facilities across the country and we are about to conclude procurement processes to deliver a thousand beds to some selected hospitals across the country”.

Robert Kudzoe noted that emergency care was not new ground for the MTN Ghana Foindation.

“At MTN, everybody deserves a benefit to a modern simple connected life.  We do not only connect calls and data, we exist to connect people to better lives”, he assured

When completed,  the A and E block would help beneficiaries receive timely and emergency care, Mr Kudzoe stressed.

He however charged the contractors to build the project, which is expected to be completed in 12momths time, with quality and integrity.

The Central Regional Director of Health, Dr Alberta Adjebeng Biritwum-Nyarko indicated that emergency Health care remained one of the most critical components of every health system but had gaps.

“The proposed 60-bed emergency facility represents a major investmen in healthcare delivery within Central Region and the entire coastal belt”, she said.

Dr Alberta Adjebeng Biritwum-Nyarko noted that the Ghana Health Service remaimed committed to ensuring equittable access to quality hesthcare for every citizen. “However, government alone cannot meet the growing healthcare needs of our population”.

She thus commended MTN Ghana Foundatiion for the kind gesture.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital is nearly ninety years old. it is one of the main pillars of healthcare delivery in the Central Reigion with 150 beds capacity and the current accident and emergency unit has got 20 beds.

The hospital attends to over 82,000 patients annually and about 30 people attend the accident and emergency unit daily .

The Medical Director of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital, Dr Francis E. Bentil stated that there had been a steady increase in emergency cases .

“Last year alone the  emergency ward saw over 81,000 cases . The hospital serves patients from nearby communities and beyond , including parts of Accra and Easten regio. However, the situation puts pressure on the emergency unit and that has become a significant challenge to the hospital”.

He thus thanked MTN Ghana for the proposed facility.

“We express our deepest gratitude to the MTN Ghana foundation . Your investment in this emergency facility is an investment in lives , hope and the future of health care”.