Rawlings commends Cardio Centre

Accra, Aug. 5, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Wednesday commended the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) for the excellent way it has been treating cardiovascular diseases. He said but for the patriotic and visionary leadership, which blazed the odds to setup the Centre the nation would have had to spend her scarce foreign exchange to fly people with heart diseases outside the country for treatment.

Former President Rawlings was speaking at a public lecture organized by the Centre as part of activities to mark its 20th anniversary celebrations.

The lecture, which was on the theme: "20 years of the NCTC- 20 Years of Medical Excellence" attracted renowned medical practitioners from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Former President Rawlings said Africans and for that matter Ghanaians could do some of the sophisticated things anybody else could do if they stopped looking down on themselves adding that the best could come out of the country's professionals in State institutions if they were given the necessary support and the right conditions. He promised to join the campaign launched by the Centre to raise funds towards the building of a cardiothoracic hospital to deal with the increasing number of patients with heart diseases.

Former President Rawlings took keen interest in the establishment of the Centre, when Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the First Chief Executive Officer, arrived in the country to establish the Centre. Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Minister of Health (MOH), pledged to work together with the Ghana Health Service to make the Centre the envy of Africa.

He said that was why as a Government they have decided to eradicate malaria and that Ghana would be the first country in Africa to eliminate malaria.

Dr Sipa-Adjah Yankey urged Ghanaians to cultivate healthy eating habits by eating local vegetables and fruits and to avoid junk foods. He said improving the Centre fell within his larger vision and that of the Health Ministry to make Ghana a health tourist centre. The Health Minister pledged to make a personal contribution of 30 Ghana Cedis a month towards the building the new cardiothoracic hospital. 5 Aug. 09