Ga Mantse, partners donate medical equipment to Children’s Hospital
The Hungarian Embassy, IPMC and JA Health Hub, under the auspices of the Ga Mantse Foundation, have donated a neonatal phototherapy machine and an incubator to the Princess Marie Louise (PML) Children’s Hospital.
The move is to help treat neonatal jaundice and other newborn conditions.
The “Medicor Babylife KA-145LT tunnel photography and BLF-2001G infant incubator” are expected to provide a reliable, accurate and secure environment for newborns with blue-light wavelengths to lower their bilirubin levels.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, at a ceremony to present the equipment, commended his partners -IPMC, Medicor and the Hungarian Embassy in Ghana among others for their benevolence in promoting quality health care for children.
He said health care in Ghana faced major challenges and the PML Hospital was unfortunately the only children’s hospital in the country providing specialised paediatric care.
The facility, he said, however, faced lots of infrastructure deficits, hence the step with partners to support it in saving newborn lives.
He expressed contentment and optimism that the equipment would enhance the capacity of healthcare staff to provide quality neonatal care.
King Tsuru II gave an assurance to ensure that other complementary children’s hospitals were established in the Greater Accra Region, and pledged to devote a land for the construction.
Neonatal care units
The Chief Executive Officer, IPMC, Amardeep Singh Hari, commended the efforts of Ghana’s leadership, especially that of President John Mahama in building the University of Ghana Medical Centre and Greater Accra Regional Hospital among others to improve the nation’s health infrastructure.
He said health practitioners, however, faced a couple of problems regarding newborn care, hence the intervention to support.
“IPMC as a responsible business citizen of Ghana is taking this step to inspire other businesses to come forward to help improve the infrastructure of neonatal care units.”
“A child with a certain health problem will live because one chooses to be kind. And so I implore others to join in similar ways to improve the health sector,” he said.
Dr Maame Yaa Nyarko, Medical Superintendent, PML Children’s Hospital, speaking on the topic, “A Preventable Cause of Morbidity and Mortality in Newborns,” said although a lot of the children were not dying from neonatal jaundice, they were suffering from its long-term effects such as cerebral palsy.
She defined neonatal jaundice as the yellowish discolouration of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes as a result of the breakdown of the red blood cells.
She said 60 per cent of term babies and 80 per cent of pre-term babies could develop newborn jaundice.
Dr Nyarko advised mothers to ensure early initiation of breastfeeding to help keep the yellow colouration away.
100th anniversary
Dr Joseph Akwasi Boateng, an International Medicine Specialist, called on health practitioners to make their operations patient-centred, citing the Mayo Clinic, United States, as one that has won its status as the best for years due to such form of operations.
Mr Andras Steiner, Deputy CEO, Medicor, manufacturers of the equipment, said although the phototherapy machine would help to revive newborns, parents should endeavour to take their babies to health facilities on time without delay to ensure quick recovery and survival.
Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Chairman, Advisory Board, PML Children’s Hospital, said the machines were beautiful gifts for the facility which was going to celebrate its hundredth anniversary.
