Oxygen machines from Koforidua Zongo diasporans to 5 facilities

Koforidua Zongo residents in the Diaspora last Friday presented 50 new oxygen concentrators to five health facilities within the New Juaben South and New Juaben North municipalities in the Eastern Region.

An oxygen concentrator which is capable of generating 95 per cent pure oxygen at 10 litres per minute will help save the lives of patients attached to it.

It will help service delivery, particularly, at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the various health facilities within the two municipalities.

The oxygen concentrators which cost GH¢450,000 were distributed to the Eastern Regional Hospital (20), the St Joseph Hospital at Effiduase (10), the Jumapo Health Centre (10), Koforidua Polyclinic (5) and the Koforidua Zongo Health Centre (5).

Presentation

Presenting the oxygen concentrators to the various health facilities on behalf of the Koforidua Zongo residents in the Diaspora, the Secretary to the Koforidua Zongo Chief, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Maikidi, said the diasporans had realised the scarcity of oxygen concentrators within such health facilities and had, therefore, decided to provide them to help save lives.

At St Joseph Hospital, the Medical Director, Dr Brother Samuel Worlasi Akoni, who received the items on behalf of the hospital, was grateful to the Koforidua Zongo residents in the diaspora for the gesture.

Appropriate time

He said the oxygen concentrators had come at the appropriate time since what the hospital had was not enough to take care of the ever increasing number of patients who needed oxygen.

The New Juaben North Municipal Health Director, Nana Yaa Konadu, who could not hide his excitement, received the rest of the items to be distributed to the remaining health facilities in the area.

He gave the assurance that there would be no discrimination in respect of the distribution of the items to the various health facilities within the New Juaben North Municipality.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben North, Nana Adjei Boateng, said the donation would go a long way to complement government efforts to improve the health sector, since the government alone could not provide everything.

In-service training

He urged the administrators of the health facilities that did not have personnel with the requisite skills to handle the oxygen concentrators to organise in-service training for them so that they can do the job effectively.

The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Amudani Suleiman, asked the donors to continue providing more of such health equipment to the health facilities in the area.

The Dagomba Chief of the Eastern Region, Naa Osumanu Adams, who was part of the distribution team, called for unity among the Muslims in the Diaspora, since that would enable more diasporans to join to provide support for their kinsmen within the two municipalities.

The Gyasehene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Twumasi Danquah, who represented the Omanhene, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, said the donation would help foster unity and a peaceful co-existence among the people of New Juaben.

Writer’s email: haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh