The Pediatrics Department Matron at the Koforidua Regional Hospital’s children’s ward, Madam Faustina Asare, has made a heartfelt appeal to corporate organizations to support the hospital in subsidizing medical expenses for underprivileged children after being discharged from the hospital.
She seeks assistance to help alleviate the financial burden on families who cannot afford essential medical care for their children, ensuring they receive the necessary treatment and attention.
She acknowledged that the hospital management has been doing its best to support the patients, but they have limited resources and cannot bear the full burden alone, adding that external support is crucial to help bridge the financial gap and ensure that all patients receive the necessary care.
Madam Faustina Asare made this statement in an interview with a cross section of the media to underscored the importance of donations made by SEMS Family Touch Foundation to the Koforidua Regional Hospital, specifically to the kids, surgical, male, and female wards.
She emphasized that these contributions are crucial in supporting the government’s efforts to provide reliable and quality healthcare, and encouraged regular donations to sustain this vital support.
Madam Faustina Asare advised the general public expecially, parents to prioritize saving money to cover unexpected hospital expenses for their children, families, and loved ones.
She encouraged them to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances, such as sudden hospitalizations, to avoid financial strain and ensure timely access to quality medical care.
For some of these reasons, SEMS Family Touch Foundation, a Koforidua and US-based non-governmental organization, has provided support to the Children’s, Surgical, Male, and Female Wards of the Koforidua Regional Hospital.
The foundation, aligning with its mission to empowering and affecting society through support and donations, to young girls in rural and disadvantaged areas, as well as supporting the needy, vulnerable, mentally afflicted, aged, widows, widowers among others has extended its charitable efforts to bring joy and relief to patients at the hospital.
The Foundation has donated a vast array of items to the Koforidua Regional Hospital and Koforidua polyclinic valued at a priceless amount, includes, over 1000 cuddly Teddy bears, 500 toys to bring joy to children, 100 packs of adult pull-ups for patients in need, 50 packs of baby diapers for young ones, 50 boxes of biscuits and toffees to brighten their day, 50 packs of consumable non-alcoholic beverages, to keep them hydrated, 5 boxes of reading and coloring books to stimulate their minds.
Additionally, the foundation has also donated an air conditioning unit to the Koforidua Polyclinic, hence to demonstrate the foundation’s commitment to showing love, care, and support to patients during their hospital stay.
Also the foundation took the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by covering the medical expenses of two patients admitted to the hospital, thereby alleviating the financial strain on their families, ensuring that these children received the necessary treatment and attention, allowing them to recover and return home without the added worry of medical bills.
In an interview with the media, Auntie Susie Akpene Dziekpor, Patron of SEMS Family Touch Foundation, based in the United States, shared her inspiration for donating to the Koforidua Regional Hospital.
She indicated that her decision was driven by a desire to bring comfort and joy to the children, as well as patients in the surgical, male, and female wards, undergoing treatment, stressing that while medication is essential for healing, it is equally important to provide emotional support and care to patients, as this can play a significant role in preventing unforeseen complications and promoting overall well-being.
Auntie Susie highlighted that the hospital has identified numerous needs, but as an individual, she cannot single-handedly address them all, therefore appealed to Ghanaians, NGOs, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to urgently support the hospital by providing essential equipment, creating specialized wards for children, and assisting parents who have been discharged but cannot afford their medical bills.
She noted that this donation is not an isolated incident, but rather a continuation of her foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting vulnerable individuals in society, mentioning that the SEMS Family Touch Foundation has previously provided care and support to orphans at local orphanages, and has now expanded its reach to include hospitals, demonstrating its dedication to making a positive impact in various aspects of thecommunity .
Auntie Susie appealed to policymakers and government officials to prioritize the allocation of resources to critical areas such as quality education and healthcare facilities, emphasizing the need for sustained support and empowerment of these essential services, adding, that investing in these areas is crucial for the well-being and development of individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole.
On her part in a media interview, the CEO of SEMS Family Touch Foundation, a Ghanaian-born American Clinical Nurse Manager, Olivia Senyo Tehode, expressed her sincere appreciation to institutions and individuals who have supported the foundation in various ways.
She noted that, Ghanaians, particularly stakeholders, to partner with the foundation in its mission to show love and care to the underprivileged and vulnerable in society, emphasizing the power of collective action.
She indicated that the foundation operates independently of government support, instead relying on the collective efforts of individuals coming together as one to achieve a shared goal, and of the believes that by uniting and working towards a common purpose, they can make a meaningful difference in the lives of the needy and vulnerable, without relying solely on government assistance.
She expressed concern about the challenges faced when importing donated items into the country, citing unexpected extra charges at the harbor that significantly affect their plans for support and appealed to the government to consider providing guarantees or waivers for permits related to donated items intended for public, hospital, school, or societal benefit, and therefore could make it more affordable or even free to import such items, adding that, by reducing these costs, she believes the government can encourage Ghanaians living abroad to return and contribute to the country’s development.
Meanwhile, Princilla Ofosu Appiah, Princilla Ofosu Appiah, the In-Charge of the Children’s Ward at Koforidua Regional Hospital, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to SEMS Family Touch Foundation for their generous donation, citing its significant impact on patient care and hospital’s ability to provide quality care.
She reiterated a concern about the persistent overcrowding in the ward, attributing it to financial constraints faced by parents in paying medical bills, adding that the challenges this poses to the hospital’s ability to provide optimal care, and the need for support to address this pressing issue.
Princilla Ofosu Appiah made a heartfelt appeal to corporate organizations to support the hospital by subsidizing medical expenses for underprivileged children, helping to alleviate the financial burden on their families and ensure they receive the necessary care.
Princilla Ofosu Appiah encouraged the general public to renew their National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, emphasizing that this will help subsidize medical expenses for their loved ones when they visit the hospital, ultimately reducing the financial burden on families and supporting the hospital’s efforts to provide quality care.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Paul Manyo
