The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is facing acute lack of essential medical equipment and supplies.

Life support machines, basic bedding, and specialised mattresses for bedridden patients are in short supply.

The lack of sophisticated machines is hindering healthcare teams in providing quality and life-saving treatments to infants.

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital receives several children with life-threatening conditions.

The Unit requires sophisticated equipment, including chest X-ray, ultrasound and echocardiography to provide lifesaving care, but these are in short supply.

Head of PICU and Pediatric Critical Care Senior Specialist, Dr John Adabie Appiah, highlighting the grave conditions, said the unit also struggles with shortage of reagents needed to run laboratory equipment, further hampering patient’ management.

“This Pediatric inattentive Unit Care requires sophisticated equipment including chest X-ray, ultrasound and echocardiography. But we don't have a full complement of our equipment, like life support machines.

“Other resources like basic bed sheets, and specialised mattresses, are for patients who lie down for a long time, and cannot move because they develop sores on their bodies. Some of the laboratory equipment we have, we need reagents to run them. So we are very glad that Judah Praise made this effort,” he said.

The Christian Medical Fellowship- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (CMF-KATH), a Christian inter-denominational fellowship of KNUST Medical students, made a presentation of medical equipment to the unit to beef up care.

The Judah Praise Project provided pediatric pressure mattresses, sphygmomanometers, infusion pumps to improve immediate life-sustaining interventions, constant care, sophisticated monitoring and specialised therapies.

The group also donated GH₵25,000 to cater for underprivileged patients to foot their bills.

Kweku Addison Adokpah, the Committee chairperson for the Judah Praise Project said “Unfortunately, some of these patients do not have the opportunity to fight to stay alive and so many lives are needlessly cut short in the PICU due to inadequate resources to care for them. Over the years, generous contributions from individuals and sponsors have made the project and the concert a huge success.

“This year’s project, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Project, is aimed at raising funds in support of critically ill children who require high organ support. This year's Judah Praise Project seeks to give every child at the PICU a fighting chance,” he said.

Meanwhile, patients who benefited from the donation expressed their joy for the relief.

 “My sister has been for two weeks and she always stands still. Even those with beds are complaining of sores at their back. But I believe these medical beds have come in time to support their health,” she said.