Vodafone Ghana supports over 300 patients

More than three hundred patients who were struggling to raise funds to pay their medical bills in some hospitals across the country have been relieved by Vodafone Ghana Limited.

The telecom giant which settled the medical bills of the patients said the gesture was through the Vodafone Foundation annual ‘Homecoming’ initiative which usually takes place in February but was scheduled for March this year to coincide with Ghana’s 60th independence anniversary celebrations.

Beneficiaries of this year’s gesture included mothers who had been delivered of their babies at various labour wards but had been unable to settle their bills for between three weeks and six months, infants at the burnt and repair units and the elderly.

Beneficiaries

Some of the hospitals whose patients were relieved to receive the Vodafone support included the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Afia Nkwanta Hospital in Takoradi, the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho and Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).

When the team of officials from Vodafone visited some of the beneficiaries at the KBTH in Accra to present a cheque for GH¢32, 000 to cover the medical bills of 13 patients, there was joy in the wards visited as the beneficiaries showered praises on the communications network provider.

The team visited the Surgery Unit, the Maternity Ward, the National Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre KBTH.

“I thank Vodafone Ghana for supporting me to pay my bills and sending me home,” said Marwana Arhin, who had lost her baby but had to stay at the hospital for three months as a result of her inability to clear her bills.

Another beneficiary, Gifty Kwesi, said she had been detained at the hospital for almost four months because her family could not foot her medical bill of GH¢1,600.

At the Burns Centre, the mother of a five-year-old boy, Ms Afua Yeboah,  could not hide her joy after she learnt that Vodafone Ghana had paid her bill of GH¢11,000.

“I can go home with my son now. Even though the wound on his left leg has healed, we have been here with no help. We thank God he brought help through Vodafone,” said the elated mother.

The Vodafone Homecoming is an annual initiative where Vodafone shows love by paying the medical bills of insolvent patients who have been kept in hospitals because they are not able to pay for their medical bills.

Appreciation

The Head of Communications at Vodafone Ghana, Mr Ebenezer Amankwah, said the Vodafone Homecoming initiative, which started about three years ago, was to make a positive contribution to the Ghanaian society.

The Public Relations Officer of the KBTH, Mr Mustapha Salifu, expressed his gratitude to Vodafone and said the gesture had made it possible for the hospital to have more space to admit more patients

Writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh