The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has commended Vodafone Ghana Foundation for its annual charity activity ‘Vodafone Homecoming’, an initiative that has helped settled medical bills for thousands of patients in many health institutions across the country.

Speaking during the virtual ceremony to launch the second phase of the Vodafone Homecoming, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service was grateful to Vodafone Ghana Foundation for footing the medical bills of vulnerable patients in some district and regional hospitals across the country.

“The Ghana Health Service is extremely grateful to Vodafone Ghana for reaching-out to many patients who are in financial distress in some medical facilities nationwide.

"Through this initiative, Vodafone is changing lives, putting smiles on the faces of people and reuniting families. I believe this great gesture represents what Vodafone Foundation evidently stands for bringing relief and support to the vulnerable in our communities,” he said.

According to him, the registration and renewal of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for these patients was a timely intervention. He was of the view that, the initiative would impact several lives positively.

“I am particularly happy that the Foundation is also helping these patients with registration and renewal of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). I urge Ghanaians to take advantage of the NHIS which is very helpful to health care delivery.

"I would also like to encourage the Foundation to earnestly continue to improve healthcare for the betterment of the country. Keep reaching out to more people, keep saving lives”, Mr Kuma-Aboagye added.

Fir his part, Amaris Nana A. Perbi, the Foundation and Sustainability Lead, Vodafone Ghana, said, the Foundation is poised to ensure that the community is connected for good.

“The Vodafone Foundation being the leader in health and also known for supporting both Gov’t and community agenda in relation to health issues, we will ensure that we sustain our relevance in the community and connect them for good. We are very ready to save lives and ensure all our heath projects are beneficial to the country”.

Speaking on how many regions Vodafone Foundation is targeting in the year 2020, Mr. Perbi noted that, the Foundation is targeting beneficiaries from all the 16 regions in Ghana. 

“This year, we have scaled up from one discharge to three discharges. Unlike other years, the 2020 edition will be rolled out in three phases across the northern, middle and southern belts respectively between July and September to ensure other regions can be covered as well. Also, we are targeting 300 beneficiaries from different hospitals, both rural and urban,” he concluded.

The Vodafone Homecoming Middle Belt virtual launch formed part of efforts to herald the three-phased Homecoming initiative aimed at bringing relief to many patients who are in financial distress in some medical facilities nationwide.

Among the costs covered were general hospital admission bills, auxiliary maternity-related costs for women and medical bills for individuals who were suffering from other medical conditions.