The Head of Sustainability and Strategic Impact at the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM), Dr Abena Nyarkoa Asomaning, has presented medical equipment and supplies worth approximately GH¢200,000 to the Department of Child Health at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to support the treatment of children.
The donation, made on Tuesday, October 13, forms part of activities marking the bank’s 10th anniversary and its corporate social responsibility efforts to support institutions in need.
The items, comprising more than 15 pieces of equipment and supplies, include patient monitors, defibrillators, an examination table, an oxygen cylinder, an emergency stretcher and other essential medical items.
Presenting the items on behalf of GEXIM, Dr Asomaning said the intervention was intended to address some of the department’s immediate needs and contribute to improving healthcare delivery for children.
She explained that although the bank’s core mandate was to support Ghana’s import and export activities, it also recognised the importance of contributing to national development through social interventions.
Dr Asomaning said the bank had assessed requests from various institutions as part of its anniversary activities before selecting the Department of Child Health for support.
She acknowledged that the donation would not address all the department’s challenges but described it as a first step towards building a lasting relationship with the hospital.
She added that the bank’s engagement with the hospital would help it better understand the department’s challenges and identify areas where further assistance could be provided.
“We will definitely come back. It’s the start of a relationship. We will definitely come back to support,” she said.
Hospital welcomes support
The Principal Nursing Officer at the Department of Child Health, Lawrencia Akweley Turkson, expressed gratitude to GEXIM, describing the donation as timely and beneficial to both patients and healthcare professionals.
She said the equipment would provide staff with essential tools to carry out their duties and support the care of children receiving treatment at the facility.
Ms Turkson noted that the department served patients from across Ghana and other parts of West Africa, making support for its operations particularly important.
“We are so happy they came. Of all the hospitals in Ghana, we chose Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Department of Child Health. And I believe that is the best decision and the best choice because Korle-Bu receives patients from everywhere across Ghana, everywhere across West Africa,” she said.
She said the donation was especially meaningful because it provided practical medical equipment, rather than consumables that the department often received from donors.
“Initially, when we are receiving donations, we normally receive drinks, juice and other things. But, I mean, this is so touching; we have medical equipment to work with. And it helps the patients; it helps the staff as well,” she said.
Ms Turkson urged other corporate organisations to support the department and appealed to the public to contribute to its ‘100 by 100’ initiative, launched in July to raise funds for needy patients, medical equipment and infrastructure.
The initiative aims to mobilise 100,000 people to donate at least GH¢100 each towards improving the department’s capacity to provide care.
She expressed confidence that the target could be achieved through collective support and encouraged the public to participate.