Rotary Club Of Sunyani Supports Bechem Gov’t Hospital

From Michael Boateng, Bechem
The Rotary Club of Sunyani Central has donated a modern 180 bags capacity blood bank refrigerator to the Bechem Government Hospital as part of measures to help reduce mortality due to lack of blood for transfusion particularly during child delivery.

Donating the items, President of the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Rotarian Frank Kofi Owusu Debrah disclosed that the equipment was acquired through the collaboration of the Sunyani Rotary Central and its international rotary partner districts and clubs in Nanaimo area, Canada at a cost of GHC24, 750.00.

Rotarian Owusu Debrah continued that aside the Blood Bank Refrigerator, a total of Two Hundred 450ml single Bags for blood collection and storage which cost GHC2. 917.00 were also presented to the Bechem Government Hospital.  He said the donation is part of a four year old project instituted by a former President of the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Dr. Dai-Anane, who is a retired gynecologist at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani.

According to Rotarian Debrah it was a major concern of Dr. Dai-Anane that maternal mortality should be reduced and the only way to do it is a collaborative effort amongst all stakeholders, which the rotary club of Sunyani Central cannot be left out.

He said Dr. Dai-Anane instituted the project to assist health facilities with blood bank refrigerators because many women die during childbirth.  According to him, maternal mortality depends on a number of factors, such as the number and skill level of staff; the availability of drugs, supplies and blood; and the general condition of the facility, hence the need to assist with blood bank refrigerators to store enough blood to save mothers from dying due to excessive bleeding after delivery.

The former President of Rotary Club of Sunyani, Dr. Dai-Anane who graced the occasion expressed satisfaction for the delivery of the blood bank refrigerators, saying currently two of them have been delivered which the Bechem Government Hospital was the first to receive theirs, whilst the Sunyani Municipal Hospital will have theirs soon.

He called on the general public to donate blood to save lives, because the number of people who die due to non-availability of blood at the blood banks at critical situation were on increase. The retired gynecologist called on the Authorities of the Bechem Government Hospital to make good use of the refrigerator and organized voluntary blood donation campaigns and exercises to help stock the refrigerator to save more lives when necessary.

On his part, the Medical Superintendent of the Bechem Government Hospital, Dr. Emmanuel Agyei-Darko commended the Rotary Club of Sunyani for the kind gesture done to the hospital and the people of Bechem and its environs, saying the old refrigerator has been in the hospital for over 25 years and has a smaller capacity to store less that 20 blood, which was a major bane to quality healthcare delivery within the catchment area.

The hospital in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Sunyani organized a blood donation exercise at the Presbyterian Senior High School to get blood to fill the refrigerator at the hospital.  Over 85 students of the Bechem Presbyterian Senior High School voluntary donated blood to the hospital, whilst they were given packs of Milo and tins of Milk and four exercise books each with a can of Malta Guinness to replenish the lost energy and blood.