Veep and wife donates three billion cedis medical equipment to TTH

Tamale, Feb. 24, GNA - Hajia Ramatu Mahama, wife of the Vice-President on Thursday called on well-to-do Northerners to cultivate the culture of sharing to help reduce poverty and disease from their communities.

"Northerners are not poor by nature but sharing with each other is our biggest problem. We should not remain selfish. Let us do good in our own small ways to help our less privileged ones...," she said. Hajia Mahama made the call in Tamale, when she presented more than three billion cedis worth of medical equipment to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).

The equipment, which included 54 mechanical beds with mattresses, infant incubators, E.C.G monitors, ultra sound units, needles, radiators, defibrillators, stethoscopes and drainage bags, were imported from the United States.

The equipment, mainly for the TTH, was the largest consignment to be donated to the hospital, since its inception. Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and his wife made the donation as their contribution to the development of the North and the hospital in particular, which is a referral medical facility serving the three Northern regions and the Sahelian regions of West Africa.

Hajia Ramatu used the occasion to appeal for peace and unity among Northerners, particularly in Dagbon to ensure an unimpeded development of Northern Ghana.

"Though the North is not good in terms of peace, no one uses the left hand to point at his or her home town. Let us accept that we are all part of the problem and we should together resolve it... "Let us put religious values in our hearts and let peace and harmony prevail in Dagbon, she said, adding, It is when the chiefs and the people accept peace that NGOs and other people of northern origin would contribute meaningfully to the development of the area". Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Northern Regional Minister observed; "God blesses those who contribute to help needy people and institutions".

He commended the Vice-President and his wife for their commitment to the development of the Northern Region and the hospital. He also commended the country's doctors and nurses for their tireless contribution to ensure quality health care delivery. The Regional Minister, however, said, "Government cannot put satisfactory salaries in your pockets but it will continue to give you the necessary recognition and surely heaven will never forget you". Alhaji Boniface renewed his call on politicians and the media to be pragmatic, sincere and honest to the people of Dagbon, by speaking the truth about the area to bring about a lasting peace. He appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders "to learn how to sing the song of peace" in Dagbon. They must also try to invite "Allah" in all their deliberations so that peace would return to Dagbon. Dr. Daniel Tapang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, who received the items, announced that renovation works at the hospital would start very soon to face-lift the medical facility to befit its status. He assured Hajia Mahama that the items would be put to good use and appealed to other individuals and NGOs to emulate the Vice-President and his wife.