Over one thousand children in Kumasi and beyond have received free medical aid and specialist care from the Asafo-Boakye Specialist Hospital as part of the third edition of the TWISCO-ABSH Kids Fair.

The event, held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the hospital’s facility in Ahenema-Kokoben, brought together families from across Kumasi for free healthcare services covering dental, eye, ear, nose and throat conditions, as well as nutritional counselling and one-on-one consultations with medical professionals.

The initiative, according to the hospital, is aimed at promoting early detection and prevention of childhood health conditions while reducing financial barriers that often prevent families from seeking specialist care.

The turnout of 1,600 children represents a steady increase in participation since the fair was introduced, with more than 1,200 children attending the first edition and about 1,400 participating in the second.

Hospital Administrator, Stephen Ofosu, said the growing numbers reflected increasing public confidence in the initiative.

“Every year the number goes up because trust goes up. People hear from their neighbours, from their relatives — they were treated well, their child was cared for, they left knowing something they did not know before.”

He said the hospital considered community outreach an essential part of healthcare delivery, beyond the treatment of illnesses within the hospital.

“Healthcare is not only about treating illness inside our hospital walls. It is also about reaching into the community, preventing disease before it starts, and ensuring that no child is denied quality healthcare because of financial difficulty.”
Mr. Ofosu stressed the importance of early detection, particularly among children.

“Prevention is the most powerful medicine we have. If you catch a problem at seven years old, you change the entire trajectory of that child's life,” he said.

Parents welcome free specialist care

For several parents who attended the fair, the initiative provided an opportunity to address health concerns that had previously gone unattended because of cost and other challenges.

Abena Mensah, who travelled from Suame with her three children, said she had been concerned about an ear-related problem affecting her youngest child but had been unable to pursue specialist care earlier.

“Today they checked her. They sat with me. They explained. I know what to do now,” she said.

Another parent, Emmanuel Darko from Asokwa, said the experience demonstrated the importance of community-focused healthcare.

“I have heard people talk about giving back to the community many, many times. Today I saw it. My son was treated like he mattered. That is all a parent wants — to know that their child matters to someone else too,” he said.

Hospital’s vision

Mr. Ofosu attributed the hospital’s community outreach efforts to the vision of its founder, Dr. Benjamin Asafo-Boakye, who trained in Germany and completed paediatric residencies in Washington, D.C., before building a medical practice in the United States.

According to the hospital administrator, Dr. Asafo-Boakye chose to return to Ghana with the goal of contributing to improved specialist healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region.

The Kids Fair, he said, forms part of that broader vision of making quality healthcare more accessible to families.

Partners support initiative

The 2026 edition was supported by Promasidor, TWISCO and Kumasi-based entertainment and media company Liezer-Legacy Productions.

By the close of the event, children who had initially arrived anxious about medical examinations were participating in recreational activities, while parents interacted and shared information about their children's health.

Mr. Ofosu said the hospital intends to continue the initiative, with plans already underway for the fourth edition in 2027.
He described the programme as part of the hospital's broader corporate social responsibility.

“Corporate social responsibility is more than a corporate obligation; it is a moral responsibility. We are privileged to serve this community every day, and initiatives like the Kids Fair are one way of giving back to the people who continue to place their trust in us,” he noted.