Lordina Foundation Donates To Princess Marie Louise Hospital

The Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra has received an ambulance from the Lordina Foundation to facilitate the process of conveying critically ill children from the hospital for emergency medical attention at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The ambulance costing $50,000, was donated in response to a request made to the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, by the Chairman of the Board of the Children's Hospital, Father Andrew Campbell, during a Christmas party at the hospital in December, 2013. Following the break down of the only ambulance belonging to the hospital a year ago, the hospital was forced to pick children in critical conditions in a pick-up vehicle or in taxis to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital under very trying circumstances, according to the Medical Superintendent of the Children's Hospital, Dr Eric Sifah. He said because the pick-up vehicle and the taxis did not have sirens, other motorists did not make way for them despite the tooting of horns, which delayed the transportation of patients. The hospital transfers three emergency cases, on the average, to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in a week. Remarks by First Lady In her remarks, Mrs Mahama noted that the Children's Hospital, which was devoted to the care of children, had over the years served Ghanaians from all walks of life. She said although President John Dramani Mahama through the Ministry of Health had many plans for the Children's Hospital, she had decided "to act swiftly on the request put forward by Rev Father Campbell." The First Lady said her organisation, the Lordina Foundation, had been working closely with children over the years. Therefore, she said, she personally recognised the importance of an ambulance for ensuring the speedy transfer of patients, especially children, to and from other health facilities. Mrs Mahama said the presentation of the ambulance was their contribution to promoting enhanced healthcare to children. She thanked partners of the foundation across the country, especially Prime Metro Properties Limited, which supported the acquisition of the ambulance. She asked other public-spirited organisations to support the Children's Hospital and other such facilities to augment the facilities provided by the government. Father Campbell In his remarks, Father Campbell said the old ambulance which was donated to the hospital by an Italian organisation 24 years ago was grounded a year ago. He thanked the First Lady for responding to the request for an ambulance within a short period. Father Campbell said the new ambulance would ensure speedy transfer of emergency cases to Korle-Bu for early treatment.