MTN Ghana has urged corporate institutions across the country to actively support Ghana's healthcare system, insisting that collective contributions from the private sector can significantly improve healthcare delivery.

The call was made by the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Steven Blewett, during the company's annual Y'ello Care initiative at the Maamobi General Hospital in Accra.

As part of this year's campaign, MTN Ghana volunteers undertook refurbishment works at the facility, restoring hospital beds, repairing furniture and improving the hospital environment to enhance the experience of both patients and healthcare workers.

According to Mr. Blewett, the initiative represents more than corporate social responsibility and demonstrates how businesses can contribute meaningfully to national development.

"We are refurbishing beds. We've done 1,700 beds that have been refurbished already for hospitals and including furniture and other furniture in the hospital wings and wooden furniture reupholstering," he said.

Describing the exercise as both impactful and fulfilling, he challenged other corporate organisations to emulate such initiatives.

"You can hear them laughing because it's a fun event because people enjoy giving. I think that as responsible citizens of our country, each big corporate should go out and do this. I mean, I would call them out and say, hey, what can you do? Because if every major corporate in Ghana did this, imagine what our healthcare system will look like as we continue to contribute to it," Mr. Blewett stated.

The intervention received an additional boost from DOSH Health Insurance, which partnered MTN Ghana to reduce the financial burden on vulnerable patients through the 21 Days of Y'ello Care campaign.

Head of Sales and Marketing at DOSH Health Insurance, Belinda Amoo, announced a GH¢1 million medical support package to settle the bills of patients who have completed treatment but remain unable to pay for their care.

"We decided to partner MTN on their 21 Days Y'ello Care because they called on to us and we are also already in the health space providing medical insurance for Ghanaians," she said.

She explained that the support would cover beneficiaries across all the health facilities participating in the initiative.

"So we decided to provide a cover of 1 million Ghana cedis for all the facilities that they will be going to. Currently, we are at Maamobi General Hospital and we have about eight other facilities that we'll be visiting. So this 1 million Ghana cedis is going to pay for the medical bills for people who are on admission and they've been discharged, but they are unable to pay for their bills," Ms. Amoo added.

Y'ello Care is MTN's flagship employee volunteerism programme celebrated annually across the telecommunications company's operating markets. The initiative encourages staff to dedicate their time, skills and resources to addressing pressing social challenges within their communities.

For patients weighed down by unpaid medical bills and health facilities in need of improved infrastructure, the interventions at Maamobi General Hospital offered more than immediate relief they renewed hope and highlighted the transformative impact of collaboration between the private sector and the healthcare system.