Svani Group Ltd donates $60,000 mini ambulance to Valley View University Hospital

The Svani Group Limited, led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Thomas Svaniker, has donated a mini ambulance to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital at Valley View University (VVU).

The state-of-the-art ambulance donated on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, on the VVU campus at Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region cost about $60,000.

According to Mr. Svanikier, the philanthropist, his motivation for the donation was a past experience where he witnessed someone collapse at the High Court and die en route to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital due to a lack of ambulances.

Mr. Thomas Svaniker, speaking on his motivation for donating the ambulance

He emphasised that donating an ambulance is a necessity aimed at saving lives, and he considers this donation an extension of his blessings to Valley View University.

“I went to the high court on a case, and unfortunately, somebody collapsed because they had no ambulance; they had to hire a taxi. Unfortunately, the person didn't make it to Korlebu, and he died. I asked myself why the judiciary, which has a clinic, didn't have an ambulance.

“I contacted the Chief Justice and donated an ambulance to them, and I was proud to be told that a judge who had high blood pressure collapsed in his chair, but due to the ambulance, he was able to get to Korle Bu alive,” he recalled.

“An ambulance donation is a necessity. First aid saves lives. A university hospital needs an ambulance. This mini Toyota ambulance has oxygen and all the things needed to offer first aid and sustain a patient. This is not a donation but just an extension of our blessing to the university,” said Mr. Svaniker.

Prof. William Kofi Koomson, VVU Vice-Chancellor, appreciated the timely donation, noting that it will benefit students, staff, patients, and the wider Oyibi/Dodowa community.

Prof. William Kofi Koomson, VVU Vice-Chancellor, expressing his gratitude towards the donation

“This donation comes at a time when the hospital needs it most and will make a huge difference to the lives of our students, staff, hospital patients, and the entire Oyibi/Dodowa community,” he said.

Dr. Martha Anabila, Medical Director at VVU Hospital, said the new ambulance will help speed up referrals and improve healthcare delivery.

Dr. Martha Anabila, Medical Director at the Valley View University SDA Hospital

“We can now swiftly refer cases to tertiary facilities, which will go a long way in saving lives,” she told ModernGhana News on the sidelines.

“We already have an ambulance also donated from the Svani Group, but that is more like a paediatric ambulance, so we used to have challenges carrying people who are very tall. But this is way bigger and more spacious than the first one,” added Dr. Martha Anabila.

These contributions build on Svani Group's previous donations to VVU, including buses, generators, medical vehicles, and endowment funds, demonstrating its long-standing support.

Mr. Svaniker, who also serves as the Advisory Board Chairman of Fidelity Bank, is a recipient of the prestigious Order of the Volta, one of the highest orders of merit from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuto-Addo.

Watch the interior of the ambulance below: