By Hafsa
Obeng, GNA
Accra, Feb. 17, GNA – The Ghana National
Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation, has donated two new hospital equipment
to the Nana Hima Dekyi Hospital in Dixcove in the Ahanta West District of the
Western Region.
The equipment, a clinical Chemical Analyzer
and a Haematology Analyzer, were donated to the hospital following an earlier
request.
Dr Dominic Eduah, the Executive Director, GNPC
Foundation said the Foundation’s vision was to impact the lives of at least 10
million Ghanaians within five years of its operation as a CSR unit of GNPC
Ghana.
“Our focus is structurally defined to ensure
that communities and people benefit. Health is one of the ways to achieve
this,” he said.
He lauded the hospital management and staff
for their service to the people, and tasked them to uphold the highest
maintenance culture and manage the equipment well to ensure longevity and
efficiency.
He also
took the opportunity to announce the downward revision of GNPC’s scholarship
amounts for undergraduates from the previous GH¢ 9,000 to GH¢ 7,000 per
year.
Dr Eduah cited increase in the number of
applicants and the need to upscale the scholarship beneficiaries as reasons,
assuring that the revised amount would still cater adequately for the needs of
scholars.
Dr Asampong Brobbey, Medical Superintendent of
the hospital expressed his gratitude to the GNPC Foundation for extending
support to the hospital which has, for about 50 years now, served the people of
Ahanta West and beyond albeit under-resourced.
He outlined several challenges facing the
health facility and indicated how the new equipment would improve service
delivery.
He said the hospital received several cases
that needed further investigations, but due to the lack of requisite machines,
patrons were referred to facilities in Takoradi and in distant places, which
was not always the best.
“As much as we needed these machines, it is
always going to be impossible to fund their procurement with monies generated
internally as it is woefully inadequate.
“We can only keep running to bodies like GNPC
Ghana to support us,” he added.
According to Mr Ebenezer Kojo Kum, Member of
Parliament for Ahanta West Constituency, said the laboratory equipment marked a
giant step towards delivering better health services to patrons.
He said; “To better care for the sick and
guide them back to good health, every medical facility needs to better
understand the illness and this is done
through further testing and investigations and for this, we look forward to
Dixcove Hospital serving many patrons from far and near”.
Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove, Nana Hima
Dekyi XIV, reiterated the importance of the relations between corporate Ghana
and traditional authorities as partners of change.
He challenged other corporate organisations to
emulate GNPC’s efforts at improving the conditions of people and communities
within its production enclave and Ghana at large.
GNA