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A non-profitable organisation, Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, last Friday presented an infant incubator to the Effiduase Government Hospital, as part of its effort to lower infant mortality rate among pre-term babies in the country.
The presentation, which was the 60th since the foundation started the campaign to provide health facilities with at least an incubator, was sponsored by the GCB bank. The objective of the foundation is to donate 100 incubators to health facilities across the country to keep pre-term babies alive.
An infant incubator, sometimes referred to as a neonatal incubator and can be mostly found in neonatal intensive care units, is an enclosed apparatus in which premature or unusually small babies are placed and which provides a controlled and protective environment for their care and growth.
Handing over the incubator to the Effiduase Hospital, the Chairman of Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, Kwami Sefa Kayi, said he was happy that the foundation had been able to deliver 60 incubators to hospitals with 40 more to be donated.
He said the journey had not been easy but was optimistic that the foundation would deliver on its promise. He said most of the first 55 incubators donated were procured with funds solicited from individuals and philanthropists.
Mr Kayi added that the GCB Bank had decided to sponsor five incubators at the cost of $50,000. He said the five would be distributed to the Effiduase Government Hospital, Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital, Yendi Municipal Hospital, Oti Hospital and Nkwanta South District Hospital.
Mr Kayi said the foundation would continue in its small way to deliver and contribute effectively to ensure quality healthcare delivery system in the country.
The District Director of Health, Dr Justice Ofori Amoah, said the district had delivered 23 pre-term babies from May to June this year with two deaths. “This machine has come at the right time where the Effiduase Government Hospital is able to deliver 100 babies a month,” he said.
The incubator presented to the Effiduase Government Hospital
He said although the hospital recorded over 400 antenatal care monthly, only about 100 were able to deliver at the hospital due to limited space. He said the rest resorted to all kinds of means to deliver their babies and therefore appealed to the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation and other philanthropists to support the hospital to complete and equip the new maternity block currently under construction for more space to cater for pregnant women.
About 10 years ago, Kokroko Charity Foundation embarked on a mission to solicit for funds from institutions, individuals and philanthropists to purchase and supply 100 infant incubators to health facilities across the country.
Some of the health facilities that have benefited from the donation include, the Ho Teaching Hospital, KNUST Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital, Bono East District Hospital, Sene West District Hospital among others.
