The British High Commissioner Ian Walker has donated medical equipment including a video training microscope and microsurgery instrument to the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The equipment worth some HS250,000 according to the High Commissioner will provide a platform for practitioners in the Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit to receive training locally, the training they would have otherwise received in Europe. In addition, the burns centre will get a new laboratory which will be fitted with state-of-the-art equipment donated by the High Commissioner. Iain Walker who was speaking at the presentation ceremony on Wednesday evening at his residence in Accra said, the training laboratory is just the beginning of how he plans to make a difference in Ghana's health sector. At an event Wednesday evening at the residence of the British High Commissioner, in the company of his riding partner, Joel Downham, other participants of the Ghana Grand including celebrities joined in what could safely be described as a stock-taking gathering of the first-ever Ghana Grand, and how the event has challenged and influenced their lives. The evening started with the screening of a documentary about the Ghana Grand, a bicycle ride tour from the Northern part of Ghana to coastal Ghana to raise funds for the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital. In an interview with Joy News on the sidelines of the event, Iain Walker explained how what he has donated is expected to improve on health care delivery at Ghana’s premier hospital. He said, “we’ve raised about ¢250,000 and we’ve put all of that to the creation of Microsurgery Training Lab at the Plastic and Burns unit of Korle-Bu.” He added, “it means those surgeons who need to go for training overseas, can be done here.” It is a modest contribution genuinely, but we’re pleased to make a practical difference.” Director of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah who received the initial equipment on behalf of the unit said construction of a new laboratory would be instrumental in the training of many practitioners who will help deliver the needed health care at the district level. Peter Yaro of Basic Needs made a passionate appeal to the Health Ministry to prioritise the issue of mental health by ensuring that services are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme. Health Minister Kweku Agyemang Manu gave the assurance that a lot of consultation is on-going to decide the inclusion of mental health services under the NHIS. The equipment was purchased with proceeds from the first-ever Ghana Grand, an initiative by the British High Commissioner. The Ghana Grand is a cross-country cycling adventure that covered over 800 kilometres from Paga in the Upper East Region to the capital, Accra, to raise funds.