The Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital (TQMH) at Mampong, in the Akuapem North District of the Eastern Region needs two more incubators to provide optimal care and end preterm delivery referrals.

Due to insufficient number of incubators, the hospital’s surgical and neonatal intensive care units (NICU) could not conduct 14 preterm delivery cases and had to be referred elsewhere. 

Dr. Albert Benneh, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital told journalists over the weekend when the Kokrokoo Charities in collaboration with National Lotteries Authority (NLA) presented an incubator worth US$10,000 to the hospital.

The incubator, which was the 45th from the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation was bought by the NLA’s “Good Causes” Foundation, a charity arm of the company. 

Dr Benneh thanked the team for the support noting that the hospital with a single incubator received in 2019 had saved some 48 babies.

He called on philanthropic organisations to help the hospital to get more incubators in order to keep the preterm babies alive.

“This will greatly help our service delivery and will be in the position to save more precious lives. It is disheartening to refer cases due to insufficient critical equipment like incubators,” he said.

The Medical Superintendent recounted that from September to December 2019 the incubator saved five preterm babies and 11 at the end of 2020.

“At the end of 2021 the number increased to 27 and as at the end of 2022 first quarter five preterm babies have been saved. The number is growing yearly so we need two more,” he added.

Mr Kwami Sefa Kayi, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kokrokoo Charities, commended the management of NLA for supporting the “Project 100” initiative to save the lives of infants.

“The impact of what we are doing is heartwarming and that is encouraging us to pursue that agenda,” he said.

He said since the Foundation started about six years ago, it had relied on the support of the public and corporate entities to undertake its projects, and that so far, the Foundation had donated infant incubators to health facilities across the country. 

Mr Sefa Kayi gave an assurance that the Foundation would try to give out about 100 infant incubators to health facilities in the country, urging individuals and corporate bodies to support the Foundation in that regard.

Mr Sammy Awuku, the Director General of NLA said one of the ideals of the “Good Causes” Foundation was to support the vulnerable and that was in tandem with the mission of Kokrokoo Charities, hence, the gesture to donate the incubator.

“By supporting this worthy cause, the NLA is helping to fulfil its quest to create a shared value that bonds all stakeholders,” he added.