[ 2017-05-12 ]

First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo

First Lady, Otumfuo to raise funds for KATH maternity block construction
The First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and the
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will later this
month lead another campaign at Manhyia to raise
funds for the new Mother & Baby Unit of the Komfo
Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

It follows an earlier #SaveThemNow fundraising
event jointly held by The Multimedia Group and the
First Lady which received a massive support from
individuals and companies.

The event which is targeted at raising an initial
GHS10 million to put up a new Mother and Baby Unit
for the largest hospital in the Ashanti Region, as
well as other referral hospitals, saw companies
such as GHACEM, producers of cement, and
Promasidor manufacturers of cowbell donating money
and other items.

So far, the event spurred on by complications
mothers and their new-born babies face at the
Mother and Baby Unit at KATH, raised close to 85
percent of its target in cash, cheques and
pledges.

Mrs Akufo-Addo decided to help after she and the
Second Lady Samira Bawumia were handed copies of
the Joy News' Seth Kwame Boateng's Special
Assignment 'Next To Die' documentary.

Mr Boateng's documentary highlighted maternal and
child deaths as a result of lack of space and
logistics at the hospital.

Doctors and other stakeholders have called for the
speedy completion of an abandoned 1000-bed
capacity maternal block for the hospital.

On the average, about 100 women are dying on
delivery beds at the KATH in Kumasi annually,
while about four babies die each day, sometimes
seven babies lose their lives.

The first lady revealed at the fundraising event
that they were horrified and disturbed after
watching the awful conditions at KATH.

“We saw the need to help not only because we are
mothers, but because fate has put us in a position
where we cannot fail to act.

“Like Esther in the Bible, we felt that God has
put us in our positions for a time like this,”
she said.

Doctors say the situation has reached a crisis
level as women in labour are forced to join long
queues for their turn to be attended to.

During the #SaveThemNow fundraising event, doctors
disclosed that they expect the new facility will
reduce the mortality by up to 60 percent.

Determined to see the project through, the First
Lady's office Wednesday confirmed to Luv FM
Editor, Saeed Ali Yakubu, that on May 21, the
Kumasi edition of the fundraising event in
collaboration with the Asante overlord will come
off.

He said the Manhyia Palace has also confirmed its
involvement but did not give more details as it is
yet to meet to agree on its role.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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