Serene Insurance Limited, a subsidiary of the First Sky Group, has renovated the fifth floor of the Surgical Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The intervention includes the refurbishment of the male and female wards, side wards, washrooms, nurses’ station, doctors’ offices and pantry, the provision of ward curtains, air conditioners and fans, as well as the provision of 55 new hospital beds to improve patient care.
The renovation, which also covered the treatment room, matron’s office, a vascular studies area and a Serene lounge, is designated for endocrine and vascular surgery — conditions affecting hormone-producing glands and blood vessels- and seeks to improve the conditions in which patients receive treatment and staff provide care.
The KBTH’s Department of Surgery handles a high volume of cases, attending to more than 50,000 outpatients, admitting about 7,500 patients and performing nearly 6,000 surgeries annually.
At a handover ceremony in the hospital, the Executive Chairman of the First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, said the group would continue to support the teaching hospital, especially by funding kidney transplant surgeries for eligible patients at the hospital.
Kidney transplants
Mr Kutortse said the First Sky Group had supported the hospital’s Renal Unit for about 10 years, including providing free dialysis for patients before the government’s Mahama Care programme took over that support.
He said the group remained committed to funding kidney transplant procedures at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital only.
“First Sky Group is still committed to ensuring that kidney transplant is free. All that you need to do is approach the head of the Renal Unit of Korle Bu, put in your application, and the necessary medical and ethical due diligence will be done,” he said.
Mr Kutortse also reaffirmed the group’s commitment to supporting the development of legislation on organ harvesting and transplantation in the country.
He said a technical working committee had met the previous month to develop a roadmap for the process and expressed confidence that the proposed legislation would be passed before the end of the year.
The Chief Executive Officer of Serene Insurance, Mercy N.K. Boampong, said the project followed an appeal by a member of the hospital’s Surgical Department during a visit to the company in December 2025.
She said the condition of parts of the facility, particularly the washrooms, had raised concerns about the comfort of patients and the working environment of healthcare professionals.
“At Serene Insurance, we listened, and having listened, we felt compelled to act,” she said.
Partnerships
The Chief Executive Officer of the KBTH, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, recalled the relationship between the hospital and the First Sky Group in 2016 when the group donated more than GH¢2 million to the Renal Dialysis Unit and provided a pick-up vehicle to support its operations.
He said the group subsequently supported the facility in many ways, including patients receiving dialysis at the unit over an extended period, providing relief to patients and their families, and providing resources for specialist medical teams who travelled to Ghana to work with local health professionals in performing kidney transplants.
Dr Adam said the group’s recognition of the need for a legal and regulatory framework to support the development of transplantation services was significant.
“This demonstrates a partnership that goes beyond philanthropy.
It is a partnership that is strategic, forward-looking, and committed to building a sustainable healthcare system for the benefit of generations to come,” he said.
Dr Adam, on behalf of the hospital’s board, management and staff, expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff of the First Sky Group and Serene Insurance for the intervention.
