President Akufo-Addo has donated his November salary as his contribution to a fund set up at the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital.
President Akufo-Addo made this donation on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, when he commissioned a new facility for the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre (NRPSBC), on day-2 of his 3-day tour of the Greater Accra Region.
The centre was established to cater for patients suffering from acute burns and its complications, birth defects including cleft lip and palate and hand anomalies, injuries to nerves, tendons and blood vessels, complex wounds, and skin cancers.
READ ALSO: Confusion rocks Ashanti NDC as Mahama posters take over Regional office [Photo]
The President expressed his gratitude to the late Prof. Jack Mustardé and the Charity he founded, the International Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Project, now called Resurge Africa, who collaborated with government and other stakeholders to establish the Accident and Burns Centre.
In order to facilitate the rapid establishment of this new speciality, the Centre was set up as one of the semi-autonomous Centres of Excellence within the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, with direct support from the Ministry of Health.
READ ALSO: Chinese ‘Galamsey Queen’ still mining illegally – Inter-ministerial taskforce complains
Over the last 21 years, the NRPSBC has proven to be a worthwhile investment, recording over 140,000 out-patient visits, over 15,000 admissions and has successfully carried out over 25,000 surgical operations. This excludes surgeries performed by its staff off-site.
Thus far, the NRPSBC has been actively collaborating with NGOs, churches, corporate entities and other health facilities to improve access to reconstructive surgery services in underserved regions throughout the country.
READ ALSO: Food has never been this cheap in Ghana – Agric Minister
President Akufo-Addo thanked the Ghanaian team of reconstructive surgeons and support staff, led by Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, for their dedication, sacrifice and contribution to healthcare delivery in the country, as well as Dr Martyn Webster and Dr Stuart Watson, from Scotland, for supporting the capacity building efforts of the Centre.