Telecom operator, Tigo Ghana has donated an ambulance to the Afife Community Health Centre in the Volta Region.

The move is to help save lives of mothers and babies in critical condition and in need of immediate medical attention.

At a durbar of chiefs and community elders including staff from the Ghana Health Service, the Head of Corporate Communications and CSR for Tigo Ghana, Gifty Bingley, said the donation formed part of its corporate social responsibility project, ‘Community Champions’, where various communities identified their critical needs and asked for Tigo’s support.

She explained that the company was obliged to respond to the centre’s need because it was a major primary healthcare provider for most people in Afife.

“It was heart wrenching to hear the stories on how pregnant women in labour were forced to walk or sit on motor bikes. We hope the ambulance will help reduce maternal and infant mortality as pregnant women in need of urgent medical attention can be picked up from home and transported to the Health Centre or other medical facilities within the region”, she added.

The state owned facility, which was established more than 20 years ago has seen very little renovation and expansion works over the years.

It employs 10 health workers and serves the entire population of over 14,000 but lacks some basic and vital medical equipment.

Medical officer in-charge and Physician Assistant at the health centre, Juliet Anaglo was thankful for the support saying “for this year, we have recorded six maternal mortality cases in the community - some women were bleeding to death, so we referred them to the nearest health facility. The ambulance will have a huge impact on combating maternal mortality”.