Mothers and newborns detained at the Tema General Hospital due to unpaid medical bills were discharged on Thursday, December 27, 2024, after the Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation paid GH¢40,000 to clear their outstanding debts.

The intervention, which also included the distribution of hampers containing essential baby items worth GH¢25,000 included diapers, baby clothing, toiletries, blankets, feeding bottles and baby formula.

Speaking during the event, the Founder and CEO of the foundation, Nicholas Cofie, described the initiative as part of the foundation’s commitment to addressing critical
healthcare challenges during the festive season.

“On Boxing Day, a day of sharing, we decided to help mothers detained here due to unpaid bills.

This aligns with our mission to reduce maternal and child mortality rates, while giving these families a chance to reunite and celebrate the season,” he said.

Mr Cofie explained that the initiative aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring good health and well-being.

“This is about reducing maternal and child mortality by removing financial barriers to health care,” he noted, adding, “We hope to ease their burden and allow them to return home with their babies.”

According to Mr Cofie, GH¢12,000 was used to settle debts for 20 mothers in the maternity ward, while GH¢5,000 was allocated to an emergency case.

The Administrator of the hospital, Apostle Samuel Obeng Mensah, expressed gratitude to the foundation, noting the significant impact of their intervention.

He revealed that many patients, especially those without the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) coverage, struggled to pay their medical bills.

Additionally, these financial difficulties often lead to prolonged hospital stays, placing strain on both patients and the hospital’s limited resources.

For him, "Initiatives such as this are crucial as they enable us to redirect resources to critical cases.

We hope such support continues to strengthen health care.”