Rural healthcare in Ghana gets $1.5m boost as BCI, Direct Relief support 80 health facilities

Eighty health facilities across Ghana have received medical consumables worth $1.5 million from Breast Care International (BCI) and the US-based humanitarian organisation, Direct Relief, to improve healthcare delivery and ease the financial burden on vulnerable patients, particularly in rural communities.

The items, which include varieties of Vaseline, surgical drapes, oral rehydration salts and face masks, are expected to be distributed free of charge to patients who need them but cannot afford the cost.

The donation was presented to the beneficiary health facilities at a ceremony held at the premises of Peace and Love Hospitals at Oduom in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti region on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Free medical supplies for vulnerable patients

Presenting the items, President of Breast Care International, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, said the intervention was intended to strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in remote communities where poverty continued to prevent many people from accessing basic medical necessities.

She explained that the cost of essential medical supplies remained a challenge for many poor households, making the donation an important intervention to ensure that patients received the necessary care without additional financial pressure.

Dr Wiafe Addai, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Peace and Love Hospitals in Kumasi and Accra, cautioned the beneficiary facilities against selling the donated items.

"These drugs are not for sale; they were given freely by Direct Relief, USA, and must also be given to the patients free of charge," she warned.

She urged managers of the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the items were administered in accordance with the conditions attached to the donation to sustain the cordial relationship between BCI and its international donor partner.

Dr Wiafe Addai further explained that the supplies were provided under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BCI and Direct Relief and were specifically intended to support needy patients.

Beneficiaries pledge accountability
A representative of the Korase CHPS Compound in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region, Yaw Fosu, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiary facilities, expressed gratitude to the two organisations for the intervention.

He pledged that the facilities would ensure the supplies reached their intended beneficiaries without any financial charge.

"We are grateful for this support, and we assure you that the medicines will be administered freely and strictly according to prescription guidelines," he said.

A partnership spanning more than a decade

Breast Care International and Direct Relief, USA, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the provision of essential medical supplies from the United States to Ghana.

The latest donation forms part of a series of humanitarian interventions that began in 2011, with a particular focus on supporting poor and vulnerable patients who struggle to afford essential healthcare services.

The partnership is expected to continue complementing the efforts of Ghana's health facilities, especially those serving underserved communities, by improving access to essential medical supplies.