Cases of children requiring urgent treatment but lacking financial support are encountered daily, placing immense pressure on healthcare providers.

According to the Child Health Department of Hope Xchange Medical Centre, critically ill children whose parents cannot afford basic medical care largely depend on the benevolence of the hospital and private entities.

As an intervention, the facility has set up a Sick Fund to mitigate such emergencies to save the lives of children from families in financial distress.

With increasing patient numbers, the Hope Xchange Medical Centre now admits children up to 14 years old, leading to congestion in the pediatric ward.

In recent months, even the children’s play area has been converted into an emergency ward to cope with the overflow.

The Sick Fund, an account dedicated solely to needy patients, will serve as an emergency source of funding for critically ill children, covering essential investigations such as laboratory tests and scans, as well as medications.

Management says funds from the Sick Fund are expected to support the expansion of the pediatric unit to improve care and restore child-friendly spaces.

Dr Adoma Fokuo-Odame is the Head of the child department and senior specialist pediatrician.

“The situation is dire because we receive referrals even from western region. And we are limited and constrained, there are services we aspire to start. We need to cater for kids with cancer and neurological conditions. And we end up leaving some children behind, we are not able to take some of the referrals. That is not acceptable. No child should die due to access,” she said.

In a fund-raising event of the Sick Fund, Dr Seyram Opoku, a pediatrician, said the initiative is a valuable asset within the pediatric care system that will offer hope in situations that would otherwise end in tragedy.

The fund-raising event was themed: “Support a Sick and Needy Child” to court the benevolence of private and public institutions to provide support to the child department of Hope Xchange.

“With this investment we are giving you the opportunity to change the lives of not only children, but that of the parents, the community and the generation yet to come. Be a part in creating a healthcare system that supports the needs of these vulnerable ones,” she said.

The facility is also seeking support to complete its ongoing Maternal and Child Health complex, a project that has suffered delays following funding cuts after the withdrawal of USAID support.

General Manager of the Centre, Dominic Osei also pleaded for support for key hospital uncompleted infrastructure, saying that their completion will meet the demands the hospital can't foot.

“Completion of the project would allow the Centre to receive more referrals, run additional specialist clinics to meet rising outpatient demand, and establish a pediatric intensive care unit, as the current ICU can accommodate only two patients,” he said