Kosmos Energy Ghana (KEG), a deepwater exploration and production company, has handed over a newly built and fully equipped school clinic to Senya Senior High School in the Awutu Senya District of the Central Region.

The facility is expected to benefit more than 1,540 students and 110 teaching and non-teaching staff.

The air-conditioned clinic is stocked with essential medical supplies, including four modern hospital beds, four side cabinets, four oximeters, two non-contact infrared thermometers, two weight scales, first aid boxes, and disposable gloves.

Additional equipment includes two blood pressure monitors, four glucometers, two medicine cabinets, ward nurses' cabinets, a three-step trolley, a fourfold screen, an examination couch, chairs for nurses and patients, a wheelchair, disposable syringes, and tables and chairs for staff.

The school management described the clinic as a timely intervention. Previously, students who fell ill at night had to lie on the ground outside the school gate while waiting for transport to the hospital due to the lack of an on-campus medical facility.

Kosmos Energy stated that its social investment programme for 2024 and beyond focuses on providing humanitarian relief to under-resourced senior high schools in Ghana, in addition to its joint initiatives with Jubilee and TEN Fields Joint Venture partners.

At the handover ceremony, Mr Joe Mensah, Senior Vice-President & Head of the Ghana Business Unit at Kosmos Energy Ghana, recalled that before this project, the company had donated 3,200 student mono-desks to four senior high schools: Savelugu SHS, Ningo SHS, Prampram SHS, and Tsiame SHS in the Northern, Greater Accra, and Volta regions.

He stated that Kosmos Energy expanded its support to the Central Region, acknowledging that the government alone cannot meet all the needs of educational institutions.

"Kosmos Energy selected Senya Senior High School after reviewing the school's needs. We decided to build a clinic and stock it with essential medical supplies to serve the students," he said.

"We believe this facility will not only provide timely first aid but also serve as an isolation unit to prevent the spread of communicable diseases."

He added that KEG's Humanitarian Relief Initiative, launched in 2022, focuses on supporting schools with special needs. So far, the programme has assisted four schools catering to children with disabilities in the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, and Northern regions.

Mr Mensah urged students to take their studies seriously and strive for academic success.

The headmaster of Senya SHS, Mr Ebenezer Nana Wilson, highlighted the previous challenges faced during medical emergencies, particularly at night, when staff had to wait for a tricycle (Pragia) to transport sick students to the hospital.

He described Kosmos Energy’s support as a crucial intervention that would significantly improve student welfare. He also noted the school's urgent need for additional infrastructure due to increasing boarding student enrolment.

The Central Regional Director of Education, Mr Emmanuel Essuman, stressed the importance of a well-equipped school clinic.

"Health and education are closely linked. When students are healthy, they can learn more effectively and reach their full potential," he said.

Mr Essuman commended Kosmos Energy for the initiative and assured that the clinic would provide essential medical care, guidance, and support to students. He urged healthcare personnel managing the clinic to demonstrate compassion and commitment.

The Member of Parliament for the area, Mrs Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, who is an architect, praised the company for its support and pledged continued assistance for Senya SHS and other schools in the district.