Advertisement

Lions foundation donates to Tema General Hospital

The Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), a leading international service club, has donated eye care equipment valued at $71,000 to the Tema Lions Club eye-care centre at the Tema General Hospital (TGH). The equipment was made up of a visual field analyser with an external computer and printer, a pulse air tonometer, an operative microscope and 15 direct ophthalmoscopes for outreach programmes.

The donation was made possible through a request made by the Tema Lions Club and the Sekondi-Takoradi Twin City Lions Club to the LCIF for modern equipment for the Eye Care Unit of the hospital.

Also, 15 direct ophthalmoscopes have been included for outreach programmes to Tema, its environs and rural communities in Accra.

The Governor of District 403 A2 of Lions Clubs International, Lion (Mrs) Gloria Esi Lassey, said in 2011, there were more than 12,000 outpatients and more than 300 surgeries performed at the eye clinic; thus, putting a lot of pressure on its facilities and underlining the need to upgrade them.

She said noticing the surge in out-patient attendance and the state of the current equipment, the request was therefore made.

Fortunately, she said, a grant was approved for $56,000 with a local matching fund component of $15,000, which was generously donated by a local company.

She said all Lions Clubs in the region would, therefore, benefit from the use of the outreach equipment, adding that it would help reach out to as many members of the various Lions communities as possible.

The Medical Director of the Tema General Hospital, Dr Charity Sarpong, who received the equipment, lauded the continuous support of the Lions to the hospital.

She said the hospital had over the years encouraged public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure the upgrade of the hospital to a specialised medical centre.

The Minister of Health, Ms Sherry Ayittey, who received the items, pledged the government’s support to upgrade the hospital into a specialist health facility.

She lauded the effort of the Lions clubs to assist the government to push the agenda of better health service delivery in the country, adding that the effort of the clubs was also geared towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Meanwhile, a seven-member committee has been inaugurated to see to the management of the eye clinic.

By Zainabu Issah

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |