Media General Ghana, operators of TV3, 3FM, Onua FM, Connect FM, Akoma FM and 3news.com, has partnered telecommunication company MTN Ghana to launch an initiative to cater for children with hole in heart conditions in the country.
Dubbed ‘Think Heart, Save a Child’, the initiative forms part of the corporate social responsibility of the 3Foundation under Media General and the MTN Ghana Foundation.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch the initiative at the National Cardiothoracic Centre in Accra, Acting Corporate Services Executive at MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng was hopeful the collaboration would save the lives of many hole in heart patients.
According to him, MTN is focused on ensuring that every child living with a hole in heart condition gets the necessary surgery to correct the defect through the collaboration with 3Foundation.
“We hope that through this intervention, we will bring smiles to children living with hole in heart, and their families,” Samuel Koranteng stated.
Samuel Koranteng further emphasized MTN’s commitment towards ensuring that many Ghanaians get access to free healthcare.
The initiative will see MTN contributing about 200,000 Ghana cedis annually, towards the surgery and treatment with children living with hole in heart.
MTN users and other benevolent Ghanaians can also contribute their quota through MTN shortcode 1962.
Media General would also use its media platforms to solicit funds to help correct hole in heart defects of children between the ages of 1 and 12 years.
Head of Corporate Affairs at Media General, Richard Ahiagble also stated that Media General is committed to fulfilling its corporate social responsibility through the ‘Think heart Save a Child’ initiative among other projects initiated by the media conglomerate.
“We hope that lives are saved through this collective effort. This is a call to action to all corporate organizations and the general public to save the lives of children,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyadu commended Media General and MTN for the initiative, and called on other corporate entities to also contribute towards improving the health sector.
“I cannot help but praise these two giant organisations for this initiative, it is very much welcome.”
On his part, Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr. Agyemang Siribour expressed his gratitude to Media General and MTN for consistently supporting the Cardio Centre.
“I am humbled that you have seen what the Centre is doing and have decided to pitch camp with us. When I see a patient who needs a surgery and cannot afford, I pick my phone and put a call through to TV3, and they never let us down,” Dr. Siribour noted.
He added that the initiative will go a long way to take the burden off parents who sometimes have to resign from their jobs to take care of their children.
Dr. Siribour also gave an assurance that his outfit will ensure that the efforts of Media General and MTN will not be in vain.
By Irene Amesimeku| 3news.com| Ghana