The First Lady and Head of The Rebecca Foundation, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has cut the sod for the construction of a new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
Speaking at the brief sod-cutting event, she said “there’s nothing more painful or tragic than losing a child. Every parent knows that. We know that tragedy happens sometimes, but when it does, at least we need to assure ourselves that we did all we could”.
The Children’s Block at Korle-Bu, for so many years, has been working under some severely tough conditions with the deplorable facilities, extreme congestion and lack of adequate equipment making treatment extremely difficult and in urgent need of a facelift to provide optimum care for children.
According to the First Lady, the project is birthed out of two requests made to the Rebecca Foundation by the management of the hospital when she launched the International Childhood Cancer Day last year.
The requests included the construction of a hostel for parents of children on cancer treatment which is progressing steadily and the need for a new Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
“Since last year, the Rebecca Foundation has been in discussions with the management of the hospital, to build a modern fully equipped Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for the Children’s block. This is a facility that is urgently needed to save the lives of our precious children,” she said.
Continuing Mrs. Akufo-Addo said, Korle-Bu’s status as a leading referral centre in West Africa requires the need to make sure the quality of care is absolutely the best in our sub-region.
On the nature of the facility to be built, she said the facility will be energy efficient just and will apply the same green technology used in the Komfo Anokye Mother and Baby and Paediatric Intensive Care Units.
On January 18, this year, the First lady commissioned an ultra-modern Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
As a mother, and grandmother who believes that every day lost could cost a life, the First Lady said the project is expected to be completed in record time.
“We all expect our health staff to be professional and do their best. And this is right. But no matter how professional, experienced or dedicated they are, they cannot work without the right resources and that includes space and equipment. Hopefully this unit will help our health professionals, deliver quality healthcare to our children,” she noted.
Whilst emphasizing on the commitment of the Rebecca Foundation to support the health sector, she asked the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and the board and management of Korle Bu, to ensure that we have the numbers and calibre of staff essential to quality service delivery.
She expressed gratitude to the foundation’s partners and donors and called assured all of the Foundation’s mission and resolve to continue providing interventions that support the well-being of women and children.
Source: 3news.com|Rebecca Foundation|Ghana