First Lady Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo has commissioned an ultra-modern hostel at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, to house childhood cancer patients and their families, during the period of their treatment.
Named the Rebecca Akufo-Addo/GHAPACC Sunshine Hostel, the 54-bed facility, the first of its kind in Ghana and the largest in Africa will provide great relief to children with cancer and their parents who sometimes have to travel long distances, repeatedly, to seek medical treatment at the Korle Bu Oncology Department.
In a brief speech to commission the facility, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said on 15th February, 2017, as Guest of Honour at a ceremony to mark International Childhood Cancer Day and ground- breaking for the construction of a hostel to house children undergoing treatment for cancer and their parents or guardians, she took up the challenge to expedite the construction of the hostel to not only bring relief to children with cancer and their parents, but also provide a better chance for childhood cancer patients to receive full treatment.
Explaining why the facility was named Rebecca Akufo-Addo Sunshine Hostel, the First Lady said “children are a ray of sunshine” and their very presence encourages us that tomorrow will be a better day. She prayed that the facility will bring a ray of hope and provide respite from the rigours that come with childhood cancer treatment.
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CEO of Korle-Bu Teaching hospital Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah also used to occasion to call on corporate bodies to emulate the first lady’s gesture.
On his part, President of GHAPACC, Dr. Felix Kwame Aveh thanked the First Lady for her immense support in realising a long cherished dream and said the hostel will greatly facilitate the treatment of cancer patients and increase the rate of recovery.
He, however, appealed to Mrs. Akufo-Addo to assist them push for childhood cancer treatment drugs to be covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), as they are very expensive and serve as a discouragement to parents and guardians who seek treatment for their wards.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Maame Damoah
