Northern Union of US presents Medical Equipment to Upper East Health Directorate

The Ghana Northern Union of Metropolitan Chicago in the United States, on Saturday presented a forty-footer container of medical equipment and consumables valued at about 1.5 million dollars to the Upper East Regional Health Directorate.

The equipment which are the biggest so far received by the Directorate from philanthropists is to be distributed to all health facilities across the region.

They include photo therapy machines for new born babies, dialysis, electrical beds, wheel chairs, crutches, theatre and laboratory supplies.

Presenting the items to the Directorate, Alhaji Alidu Fuseine , Chief Director of the Ghana Northern Union of Metropolitan Chicago of US said the donation was made possible through Children of Abraham after his outfit solicited for support and that the cost of shipment which was 7,000 dollars was born by the Mosque in Crown Point, Colorado.

Children of Abraham is an organisation comprising various religious groups including Christians, Moslems, and Jews living in the US and aims at assisting mankind and promoting peaceful co-existence among the children of God.

According to the Chief Director, the Union had earlier presented an ambulance it got from the Mayor of Chicago and forty- footer container of medical equipment and supplies from the Children of Abraham of US to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Alhaji Fuseini said three years ago, the Union also donated school supplies to some Schools in Bongo District of the Upper East Region.

“The Pognaba (Queen Mother) of the Chicago Northern Union, Madam Habiba Seidu, and Professor Rufai Misbau, also of Chicago and both Ghanaians, together with the members of the Union have always made known their intention to assist our brothers and sisters up North. So we have always been on the move to use our influence and contacts to solicit for help for our deprived communities.

"Indeed, I have mentioned Pognaba Habiba Seidu Fuseine and Professor Rufai for the unyielding sacrifice they have always made whenever we have to use our own resources and time to drive round in the US under snow or rain.”

He indicated that the Union which is made up of people from the Northern , Upper East and Upper West Regions living in Metropolitan Chicago in the US, would be making a similar donation to the Upper West Regional Directorate of Health Service and entreated the beneficiaries to ensure that the items made a significant impact on the lives of people in the Region.

Receiving the items, the Upper East Regional Director of Health in charge of Public Health, Dr James Akpablie thanked the Union and the Children of Abraham for the support and said the health facilities in the Region were in dire need of such items. He indicated, for instance, that patients sometimes had to lie on the floor while receiving treatment as a result of the lack of beds.

“With these medical equipment and supplies which are of higher profile we will now be able to provide certain services we hitherto couldn’t provide to our patients. The Directorate will ensure that the items are made good use of to benefit all patients”, he added.

Dr Peter Baffoe, Medical Director of the Bolgatanga Hospital who was also full of praise for the donors appealed to other philanthropists and NGOs to emulate the Chicago Northern Union since the health facilities in the Region needed more support due to the peculiar nature of the Region.