A health-focused non-governmental organization, Women’s Health to Wealth Foundation has brought hope to the Orthopaedic department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) following a donation of medical supplies worth over $84,000.

According to the foundation, the gesture forms part of efforts to improve the health delivery system in the country particularly, KATH as it serves as a referral centre for over 10 regions in the country.

The medical supplies include 75 orthopaedic implants and over one hundred other medical supplies to aid in the restoration of fractured bones at the facility.

Speaking to Channel One News after receiving the donation on behalf of the Orthopaedic department, the head of the department, Dr. Paa Kwasi Baidoo noted that the supplies ordinarily pose a severe financial strain on both the state and the patients as they are very expensive to purchase.

The donation thus brings huge relief to the facility and the patients as it makes it possible for the hospital to subsidize the cost of surgery.

“As Orthopaedics, we use most of these items for our day-to-day activities. People get injured, they break bones and we need to restore them. We use items like these for that. However, if we are to buy these as a hospital, they are so expensive.

“One set goes for several thousands of dollars. If the central government is to buy it, we have to pass on the average cost to the patient and based on the current economy, that has been challenging. And so this donation has come in handy,” Dr. Paa Kwasi Baidoo, Head of Trauma Orthopaedics, KATH stated

He added that the implants help prevent infections associated with implants that are sourced by the patients due to their unavailability.

“At times prescriptions are given to patients to go out and procure the implants and we don’t even know the source of it. I’m stressing about the source because when you operate on people, there is that chance of infection and dealing with bone infection is very terrible.

“So if you don’t know the source of the implant, it becomes problematic. So this donation will go a long way to relieve the hospital and the patients,” Dr. Paa Kwasi Baidoo added.

The executive director for Women’s Health to Wealth, Nana Abena Akuamoa Boateng says the objective of the exercise is to alleviate the burden of purchasing these implants on the patients and the state.

“Our objective is to help address the gaps in health supplies. This supply is 75 implants, plus another 110 other parts that go with it. The total cost of this donation is $84,585.

“The cost of 1 implant is over $1000. So you can imagine if the patient is to get. So, we are happy that we have had the opportunity to sow into the lives of people who will need this, and also help the government to alleviate the cost of having to buy these things. I have been able to do this through my partners,” the executive director for Women’s Health to Wealth, Nana Abena Akuamoa Boateng stressed.