MTN Donates Mosquito Nets To Tema General Hospital

Mobile Telecommunication Network giant, MTN has embarked on a regional exercise with the distribution of long lasting insecticide nets to pregnant women and nursing mothers in some selected hospitals.

MTN staff volunteers with support from MTN Foundation has distributed over 300 insecticide treated nets to pregnant women and nursing mothers in the maternity ward at the Tema General Hospital as part of efforts to mark the World Malaria Day.

The Acting Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Samuel Koranteng, MTN, said, the nationwide exercise stems from the fact that the entire population is at risk with pregnant women and children under age five being the most vulnerable.

According to him, statistics from the National Malaria Control Programme indicates that malaria accounts for about 32.5percent of all OPD cases and 48.8percent of admissions of children under five years in the hospitals.

Statistics from the Ghana Health Service shows that in 2015 malaria cases accounts for 7percent death in Ghana.

Mr. Koranteng stated the donation will help to reduce the spread of malaria infection, save lives and reduce the pressure on our health facilities in the country.

“It is our hope that, our contribution will go a long way to help reduce the incidences of malaria and eventually help to eradicate it,” he stated.

He said the campaign which is under the theme “ Save a Life” is taking place in regions such as Bolgatanga, Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast and Accra to eradicate malaria in the country.

Mr. Koranteng emphasized that the donation is in tandem with the MTN Foundation which has invested in over 50 major health projects in the area of construction and refurbishment of hospital wards, CHPS compounds and other special medical services since 2007.

The Medical Director of the Tema General Hospital, Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, noted that the donation is significant in the sense that it arrived at the right time.

He said the maternity ward has been operating without mosquito nets which is one of the major challenges facing the Maternity Ward of the hospital.

The Medical Director added that the currents state of the maternity ward is not reasonably enough to handle the number of cases that are being recorded in each day.

According to Dr. Opoku-Adusei, the congested maternity ward has no single Air-condition and enough beds to accommodate all the expectant mothers and nursing mothers.

He stated that this has forced many expectant mothers particularly those in labor to sit on chairs whiles awaiting to be delivered by the midwives.

He said this practice is very injurious to their health and sometimes making it difficult for the medical officers to constantly track the foetus of pregnant women to ensure that it is safe.

Dr. Opoku-Adusei indicated that a proposed construction of a new maternity ward which started in 2008 to bring some relief to the hospital has also been abandoned for 8years now.

He appealed to government and corporate organisations to join support to upgrade the hospital into a modern facility.