Keta Hospital gets new NICU shed from Jay Foundation

The Jay Foundation, an NGO that has since its inception supported pre-term babies and their mothers around the country has constructed a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the Keta Muicipal Hospital.

The foundation handed over the new building and equipment worth about GHC90,000 to the hospital in a grand event.

The Keta Hospital since the beginning of operation in the early 90's has not seen any expansion and has no dedicated NICU. The Hospital serves many communities in the Southern part of the Volta Region as well as Togo.

The facility can only boast of one incubator and a baby court capacity of five, meanwhile managers say it admits about twenty pre-term babies daily.

Director of the Foundation Abeeku Mayne-Eghan in an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the donation said "the Jay Foundation was set up to pursue the interest of pre-term babies and their mothers. So, this facility came out of that passion."

"We visited this hospital sometime last year Easter to donate some items to the NICU and when we got here we found out that the NICU was under pressure. There was a small place carved out of the maternity ward so the place was overflowing with babies and their mothers. So, we made a commitment to the hospital that we would come back and ensure that we give them a facility that is bigger than the original place."

"The hospital itself was looking at putting up a structure and a whole NICU for the babies but that is a long-term thing and its capital intensive. So, when we came in we said we would 'give you a temporary solution' which is what we have seen here."

He added "by the grace of God we reached out to some benevolent people of society and they assisted us to put this edifice up. It’s our hope that we will be able to do more for this hospital and other hospitals in the country."

Founder of the Jay Foundation Naa Kuorkor Mayne-Eghan explained "In August last year we came here and we noticed the situation at the NICU, so when we came back to donate, the main problem the hospital had was the size of their NICU. We told them we would look for some donors and come to put up a NICU for them, that was the long term plan."

"But sometime this year in February, we were called by the Hospital to create a temporary facility because we had been told there had been an overflow of mothers and babies. So, we got some nativees to help."

She thanked the Group CEO of Enterprise Group Mr Keli Gadzekpo and Executive Chairman from Glory Oil Mr Mawuko Dzikunu for their support. "They are all from Keta and were enthused about what we were doing, and helped us get here," she noted.

Mrs Mayne-Eghan indicated that her foundation would come back to refurbish the Hospital's maternity ward.

Administrator of the Keta Hospital Emmanuel Afobu said "we hope to admit more neonatal babies and then improve on the quality of care to them with this newly built NICU. The nurses will have the space to work and then there will be more facilities like incubators that will be provided later that will well improve their recovery."

The foundation upon request by the hospital also provided:

Ten (10) Baby Cots

Ten (10) Drip Stands

Twenty (20) Cot Sheets

Twenty (20) Digital Thermometers

Ten (10) Face Mask size 0

Ten (10) Face Mask size 1

Ten (10) Nasal Prongs

Two (2) Pulse Oximeters

Cleaning Materials and Detergents

Ten (10) Hand Wash Gels

Packs of Tissue Paper

Ten (10) Plastic Chairs

Signage for NICU & Mother’s Shed

Flower Pots and more.

The Jay Foundation has since its birth barely two years ago has made several donations to the NICU of over five hospitals in the country including the Tema General Hospital, Nsawam Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Shai-Osudoku District Hospital, amongst others.

Donation made were done based on specific needs of the hospitals NICU.