Japan supports Ghana’s health infrastructure development

The Japanese Embassy in Ghana has signed two grant contracts with the Centre for Pregnancy and Childbirth Education (CePaCE) of the 37th Military Hospital and the Needy Club of Ghana.

CePaCE received $120,726.00 for the provision of medical equipment and  Needy Club of Ghana received $121,940.00 for the construction of CHPS Compound for the Aneta Yordanu community in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region.

Both grants were awarded under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGHSP), a scheme that seeks to directly assist grassroots level development projects.

Official documents for the two contracts were signed by Mr Shigeru Hamano, Deputy Head of Missions of the Embassy, Dr. Genevieve Insaidoo, Project Director for CePaCE and Apostle Killians Kwame Carr, Executive Director of the Needy Club of Ghana.

Mr Hamano said the essence of the support of the CePaCe project was to assist the Paediatric Unit of the 37th Military Hospital to provide key health services to its neonate patients.

He said lack of neonatal ventilators in the country was causing fatalities in many neonates who suffer from respiratory conditions from birth.

Mr Hamano said to address the challenge the Pediatric Unit of the 37th Military Hospital had provided the space needed to facilitate a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for neonatal ventilators.

He said the facility would serve both the Region and the entire country and would be critical in saving the lives of infants under the weight of 10 kilograms from dying from respiratory challenges as it would provide enough oxygen through a sizable mask for little vulnerable babies.

Mr Hamano said by the expansion of healthcare services through the CHPS Compound project at the Aneta Yordanu in the North Dayi District, access to and the quality of health care would be greatly enhanced.

Mr Hamano said the GGHSP scheme which was established in Ghana in 1989 and has 252 projects country wide and that the Government of Japan had made health-related projects one of its top most priorities in Africa.

Dr Insaidoo said lack of proper child care support especially within the first hour and week of birth up to the fifth year had accounted for a large number of neonatal and child deaths in the country.

She expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Japan for their continuous support towards the improvement of Ghana’s health sector.

Apostle Carr thanked the donors for the support, saying “it will help ease the pressure on existing health care facilities in the Region”.

He said the Anfoega Catholic Hospital that serves the North Dayi District currently had only one doctor, faces over congestion in its Out Patients’ Departments and wards, putting severe pressure on the hospital and prevents easy access to quality health care.

Source: GNA