The Ward-in-Charge of the Maternity Ward at the 37 Military Hospital, Lieutenant Colonel Naomi Yaa Asantewaa Oppong, has appealed to the government, donors, and public-spirited individuals to help establish a fund to support maternal care at the hospital.
According to her, some women who report to the facility to deliver—particularly teenagers and other vulnerable mothers—are unable to pay their hospital bills and often have to depend on the generosity of individuals or benefit from fee waivers granted by the hospital.
Lt Col Oppong made the appeal in Accra on Friday through The Ghanaian Times after the Abril Frolov Foundation donated assorted items to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the hospital to support mothers and their newborn babies.
The items donated included baby diapers, corsets, soaps, liquid soap, disinfectants, sanitary pads, and other toiletries.
She explained that although the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) catered for certain aspects of delivery costs, it did not cover all expenses incurred by clients, leaving some mothers unable to settle their bills.
“As a hospital, we sometimes have to waive some of the fees to enable these mothers to be discharged, but that places a strain on our financial resources,” she said.
Lt Col Oppong stressed that establishing a dedicated fund for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department would help cater for such cases, especially teenage mothers and other vulnerable and needy women who required urgent support.
She expressed gratitude to the Abril Frolov Foundation for the donation, saying the items would go a long way to support nursing mothers in need.
“The items donated are what mothers usually have to buy for their babies. They are items the hospital needs to cater for mothers and their newborns. When you help mothers and babies, you are helping an entire community,” she emphasised.
Lt Col Oppong also appealed to other non-governmental organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital, stating that its doors were open to all who wished to assist.
The Director of Communication and Media Relations of the Abril Frolov Foundation, Ms Janet Akosua Adepa Amissah, said the Foundation, established in 2023, was a registered non-profit organisation under the Department of Social Welfare.
She said the Foundation was committed to supporting vulnerable groups and putting smiles on the faces of those in need, especially women, babies, and children.
“Today, being January 30, we decided to visit the Maternity Ward of the 37 Military Hospital because we cherish babies so much. Our hearts are always with them,” she stated.
Ms Amissah added that the donation was not a one-off gesture, noting that similar support would be extended to hospitals across all 16 regions of the country.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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