As part of efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the country, the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo- Addo and Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Friday, jointly inaugurated a new Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Kumasi.
Under the “Save the Child, Save the Mother” project, the ultra modern facility was constructed for the hospital by the Rebecca Foundation under the leadership of the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo – Addo in collaboration with the multimedia group and KATH.
The 10 million Ghana Cedi project with a total built area of 2,722 square meters made up of maternity, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units is expected to ease pressure and extreme congestion in the old maternity block where mothers compete with staff to attend to babies in a very limited space.
In her inaugural address, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo – Addo said following a documentary produced and screened by a team from the Multimedia led by Seth Kwame Boateng that highlighted the difficult environment at the MBU which contributed significantly to the avoidable and needless loss of lives of mothers and babies, the Rebecca Foundation initiated efforts to raise funds to put up the facility.
She said she had learnt many lessons from the successful completion of the project saying “a united people are all we need to develop a country.”
She also said Ghanaians were capable of developing their own country with the enormous resources available and highlighted her husband, President Akufo – Addo’s of a “Ghana beyond Aid” which she said had also become her dream.
Mrs. Rebecca Akufo – Addo was also happy to note that the media was a powerful tool for national development and therefore urged the media to take on more special issues. She pledged her support for the maintenance of the facility to ensure a long life span and durability.
The First Lady said the Rebecca Foundation was constructing a hostel at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for parents and of children receiving cancer treatment and appealed for support for the project.
She was thankful to the Manhyia Palace and the Japanese government for their support for the KATH MBU project.
She also expressed her appreciation to staff of the Foundation, KATH and the Africa Building Partners the construction firm of the project.
The minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Manu described the KATH NBU project as the first significant contribution by the Rebecca Foundation to the sector.
He charged the hospital authorities to make good use of the facility to encourage the First Lady to do more for the Health Sector.
The Health Minister said the Rebecca Foundation in consultation with KATH had named the facility after the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
The CEO of KATH, Dr Oheneba Owusu – Danso said KATH as the leading and sole referral tertiary health facility in the region had for many years experienced extreme congestion in most of its operational areas.
He therefore welcomed the construction of the new Mother and Baby Unit pointing out that it would go a long way to ensure quality service delivery at the hospital.
In a message, Multimedia Group was happy to be part of the inauguration of the KATH MBU expressing the hope to do more such documentaries for the construction of more projects in the country.
The World Bank in a statement certifying the project said the quality and sustainable materials and building techniques was what allowed the facility to achieve such a high valued certification by EDGE Certification by the World Bank Group.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah in his welcome address noted with interest that the construction of the facility was an indication that the First Lady was real mother who cared for mothers and babies. The Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Asare Amankwatia VI who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II chaired the function.
