Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) has upgraded the water systems of the Tamale West and Central hospitals in the Northern region. The GHS 150,000 project is set to improve water delivery to the two hospitals as part of the company’s commitment to enriching lives and empowering local communities through access to safe drinking water under its flagship community investment programme, Water of Life. The investment, announced at a sod cutting ceremony at the Tamale West hospital, will finance a major upgrade in the water delivery system of the two hospitals including the construction of a 36,000L and 40,000L capacity underground storage tanks for the Tamale West and Central hospitals respectively, the construction of washrooms and toilet facilities at the Tamale Central hospital as well as to connect pipes from GWCL lines into the two hospitals. When completed, the project is expected to alleviate the plight of patients and employees of the two hospitals as a result of the current water rationing in the Tamale metropolis and contribute significantly to improving health service delivery to the over 140,000 patients that attend these two hospitals annually. Making the announcement, Lynne Smethurst, Head of Community Investment, Diageo PLC said ‘The Diageo Foundation and GGBL believe strongly in empowering local communities through sustainable access to safe drinking water. Access to safe water and sanitation is a catalyst for better healthcare delivery. As a business, we are aware of the dire consequences lack of water access can have on our communities generally and on health care delivery. Hence our decision to support the Tamale West and Central hospitals through this project. It is our hope that this effort will significantly improve the health service delivery in the municipality’. She mentioned further that this investment was a ‘phase two of the guinea worm free initiative the Foundation and GGBL have been supporting since 2012, having already invested some GHC170,000 into providing access to safe drinking water to residents in Kakpagyili and Koblimahigu last year. "It is also our little way of supporting the Ministry of Health’s effort to have Ghana certified as guinea worm free by 2014". The Head of Administration for the Tamale West hospital, Ms. Alice Tengfah expressed the profound gratitude of the Ministry of Health and the administration of both hospitals to GGBL and the Diageo Foundation. He said "In recent times where many health centres across the country have had serious water challenges impacting on healthcare delivery, we are truly grateful to the Diageo Foundation and GGBL for this timely intervention. I have no doubt it will greatly improve the water situation in these two hospitals and by extension, service delivery". The Tamale Central hospital is the main referral centre for guinea worm cases across the region and will remain so until after 2014 when, if no new case of the disease is reported, Ghana will be certified guinea worm free by the WHO. "Interventions such as this, by GGBL and the Diageo Foundation, goes a long way to supporting the fight against neglected tropical diseases and is worthy of emulation" Dr. Seidu, former national programme Director for the Guinea Worm Eradication programme added. GGBL has since 2007 invested in more than 60 communities – providing and improving access to safe drinking water through its flagship community investment programme, Water of Life. The programme aims to enrich lives and empower local communities through sustainable access to clean drinking water.