Mr. Clement Adu Twum, a Ghanaian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) consultant, based in the Netherlands, has donated ultra-modern ICT and medical equipment, worth over 800,000 Euros to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), to help improve healthcare delivery at the facility.
The first donation went to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, and the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi-Takoradi, would be the third beneficiary of the equipment.
The items included 175 Dell Optiplex computers, 41 Dell Latitude laptops, 12 projectors, 20 Cisco wireless access points, HP network printers, 32 Cisco catalyst network switches and seven LCD information screens.
The rest were four hospital beds, 21 stationery cabinets, two smart boards and several other networking equipment, as well as office and conference furniture.
Speaking at the official handing-over of the items, Mr.Twum said he first visited the CCTH somewhere in August last year, under the auspices of the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals (TRQN) III Project, where he offered health-based ICT training to the hospital’s ICT staff.
The philanthropist said on his return to the Netherlands, he decided to mobilize the equipment as his contribution to make the CCTH the true centre of excellence in quality tertiary healthcare, medical education and research, and also to support ICT implementation and improve training in the hospital.
Mr. Twum appealed to the management of the hospital to make judicious use of the items, and institute a maintenance culture to ensure sustainability of the project.
He acknowledged the support of his employers ROC Mondoriaan, who he said facilitated the donation of the equipment, the Dutch Government, the Embassy in the Netherlands, IOM, the management of the hospital and his family.
Dr. Daniel Asare, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CCTH, on receiving the items, described the donation as unprecedented in the history of the hospital, and gave the assurance that they would be used to develop the ICT infrastructure of the Teaching Hospital.
The CEO, on behalf of the Board, Management and entire staff of the CCTH, thanked Mr. Twum, ROC Mondoriaan and IOM for the kind gesture, and promised that the equipment would be put to good use.
He called on other individuals, organizations and allied agencies, to emulate the gesture by the philanthropist and come to the aid of the hospital to help render its mandate as a Teaching Hospital.
Mr. Daniel Kweku Sam, National Project Officer of IOM, said migration, especially from Africa to the diaspora, had been viewed sometimes with reservations, which he said should not have been the case.
He noted that migration was an affront to the development of the African continent, and “it was for this reason that the IOM instituted the Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals III Project, to encourage Ghanaian professionals in the diaspora to come back home and support the society with their expertise.”
Mr. Kweku Sam intimated that the IOM offered such professionals willing to give back to the Ghanaian society with support such as airfares, lodging and feeding.
GNA