The Rotary Club of Navrongo Charter has presented state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) medical equipment worth Gh¢ 500,000 to the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo to improve critical health care.
The equipment includes an ICU Ventilator, fully electric automated hospital beds with a five-function remote control, a hospital syringe pump, a hospital biphasic defibrillator, and a BG-800A Blood Gas Analyzer. The rest of the equipment includes BKE Auto-loader Serum Electrolyte Analyzer, KT-SP750 infusion pump, and 12.1-inch multi-parameter ICU patient monitor.
The donation, presented at a brief ceremony at the hospital’s premises on Monday, is part of the Rotary Club of Navrongo’s ‘Intensive Care Unit Support project’, launched on August 10 last year. In his address, Dr. Dennis Chirawurah, Charter President of the Rotary Club of Navrongo, expressed deep appreciation to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) for fully funding the purchase of all the equipment and for providing additional support towards the construction of the ICU building. He also thanked the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) for contributing to the building project, as well as individuals and Rotarians who gave generously to the cause.
Dr. Chirawurah gave special mention to Mr. Michael Luguje, the immediate past Director-General of GPHA, whose personal intervention facilitated the payment of clearing costs and transportation of the equipment to Navrongo. He also acknowledged Rotarian Gordon Tanga and his team of architects and engineers, who designed and supervised the ICU building free of charge.
He appealed to other agencies, including the Municipal Assembly and banks, to help complete the building so the equipment can be fully put to use.
“The optimal utilization of the ICU equipment is tied to the successful completion of the building currently under construction,” he stressed. “We will be following up on earlier appeals for support towards the completion of this worthy project.”
The Medical Superintendent of the War Memorial Hospital, Dr. Abraham Babatuiamu Titigah, noted that the facility serves patients from Builsa South District, Builsa North Municipal, Kassena-Nankana West District, and even parts of neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In the absence of such critical equipment, he said the hospital had been forced to refer many emergency cases to the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga.
“With this donation, our ability to handle emergencies here in Navrongo will be greatly improved,” Dr. Titigah said. “It will reduce delays in care, improve patient survival rates, and keep families closer to their loved ones during treatment.”
For Dr. (Med) Braimah Baba Abubakari, Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, the significance of the donation goes beyond emergency response. He revealed that many maternal deaths in the region occur after successful cesarean sections, during the recovery phase, due to inadequate post-surgery critical care.
“Most of the surgeries themselves are successful,” Dr. Abubakari explained. “But the aftercare is where we lose many mothers—not because our staff are incompetent, but because we lack the equipment to sustain them during recovery.”
He said the establishment of an ICU will directly address these gaps. “I have seen in other places how the introduction of an ICU has drastically reduced maternal deaths. I am very optimistic that this will be a game changer for the Upper East Region,” he emphasized.
The Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Asagpaare Aneakwoa Balinia Adda II, lauded the Rotary Club of Navrongo for the foresight and commitment to improving healthcare in the municipality. He entreated the management of the hospital to take good care of the equipment.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana, Faustina Akeyom Abulu, said the donation would complement government health programs such as the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and the free primary health care initiative.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Navrongo|
