The Office of the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations has presented GH¢100,000 to the Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to support patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
The donation, presented at a brief ceremony held at the hospital's administration boardroom, formed part of the outfit's "widow's mite" initiative aimed at financially cushioning dialysis patients at the centre.
The Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who presented the amount, explained that the funds were proceeds from offerings taken during a recent thanksgiving service organised by his office under the theme: "Resetting our values to build the Ghana we want."
He said the service was held to express gratitude to God for the nation's economic recovery, noting that international bodies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and Fitch had initially projected it would take four to seven years to attain the current economic indicators. "In less than two years, we have achieved quite significant gains," he stated.
Mr Afriyie Ankrah said the President believes in hard work and the grace of God. "He works very hard. He doesn't let us sleep. He doesn't rest so that we do rest. But he also believes that the grace and favour of God makes a lot of difference," he added.
The envoy said the decision to support the dialysis centre was informed by personal encounters with individuals diagnosed with kidney disease. "I have seen people sell virtually all their properties, their vehicles, their cars, just to take care of themselves. It is a very, very, very difficult, challenging, and sad situation to find yourself in," he recounted.
He used the opportunity to appeal to other corporate entities and organisations to support the centre, emphasising that the government alone could not address all the challenges facing the health sector.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, the Chief Executive Officer of KBTH, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, expressed profound appreciation to the President and the Presidential Envoy's office for the kind gesture.
Dr Adam disclosed that the hospital runs a 24-hour dialysis service, operating three sessions daily, including weekends, to ensure that patients do not miss their treatment. "It is not easy, but we are doing everything in our power to ensure that we never run short of the consumables that will ensure that they get the service. We all know the implications when they cannot get the service. They depend on it to continue to live," he said.
He added that the hospital was also working progressively to take some patients off dialysis through kidney care and transplant surgeries, whenever suitable donors were available.
Dr Adam acknowledged the support of First Sky Group and other corporate bodies that had assisted the hospital in carrying out surgeries and sustaining dialysis services. "We are open to all assistance across the country," he said, appealing to more organisations to come on board.
Following the presentation, Mr Afriyie Ankrah, accompanied by some pastors, and the KBTH CEO with his staff, toured the dialysis centre to acquaint themselves with operations at the facility.
