Church establishes cancer assistance fund

A fund to support needy cancer patients in Ghana has been launched at the Immanuel Methodist Society of the Accra North Circuit of the Methodist Church-Ghana, in the Regimanuel-Gray Estates,  Accra.

The One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis Fund, mooted by Mr Abaeku Arthur, himself a cancer survivor and supported by the Immanuel Methodist Society, was launched last Sunday by the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church-Ghana, Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante.

At the launch,  GH¢82,000 was raised.

Preaching the sermon to launch at the special Service to launch the fund, the Most Rev. Prof.  Asante said the cardinal duty and responsibility of any true Christian was to serve humanity and by so doing help the poor and the down-trodden neighbour.

He said ‘all those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour have received the call to serve mankind’ and that the Christian must care for the poor, needy and the perishing and commended the Immanuel Methodist Society for being the first in the annals of the church to establish such a fund.

The Most Rev.  Prof. Asante said it was unfortunate that most Ghanaian Christians preferred to associate with the rich and affluent in society or at best exploit the plight of the have-nots to enhance the  image of the rich and affluent.

Mr Kwesi Abbey Sam, a leader of the Immanuel Society, said cancer treatment was very expensive and out of the reach of the ordinary Ghanaian hence the decision of the Immanuel Society to set up the fund to save the lives of those who would have perished for lack of money for the appropriate medical attention.

Mr Abbey Sam advised that part of the fund should be utilised for the education of the public about the disease, its symptons  and causes since early detection could help in getting a cure.

The Minister In Charge of the church, Very Rev. Kodwo Arko-Boham,  said the society decided to set up the fund because cancer had become a major cause of death, especially breast cancer , accounting for a higher percentage of the death of vulnerable women and men.