ARII, Ghana Navy take quality health care to deprived communities

The Naval Command of the Ghana Armed Forces in collaboration with African Rights Initiative International (ARII), a non-profit, voluntary based International Relief and Development Organization, are set to expand health care delivery projects to more deprived communities in Ghana through the Doctors in the Gap Programme.

In a meeting that brought together the key leadership from both the Ghana Navy and ARII in Accra on July 11, 2017, Rear Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo, the Chief of Naval Staff, lauded ARII’s efforts through Doctors in the Gap (volunteering Medical Doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals) Programme for embarking on the initiative that offers free quality health care to thousands in remote and poor communities.

“I congratulate ARII and the Doctors in the Gap for their remarkable effort in addressing the health delivery gap that has plagued most rural communities in Ghana and Africa and I am proud to be a part of the Doctors in the Gap Programme,” he said.

Mr. Ntim Amponsah, however, seized the occasion to thank the Naval Command for their commitment in partnering with ARII to complement the efforts of government in serving Ghana.

The Ghana Navy is currently working with ARII through the Doctors in the Gap to address the health needs of over 42,000 people spread in 103 communities, on the Dwarf Island at the Afram Plains North District in the Eastern Region where the people often lack adequate food and shelter, education and health, deprivations that keep them from living the kind of life that everyone values. They also face extreme vulnerability to ill health, economic disruption among other things.

While urging other cooperate entities to support the country’s deteriorating health sector, Mr Ntim Amponsah stressed the need for authorities to allocate enough funds to remove the bottlenecks facing the sector.

ARII through the Doctors in the Gap is currently working with partners to address critical primary healthcare and broader healthcare challenge of poor infrastructure and under- resourcing.

On his part, Prince Williams Oduro, Executive Director of ARII and Doctors in the Gap added that “since the initiative took off in 2008, Doctors in the Gap and Agape Samaritan International, USA with other partners have helped tens of thousands of people across Africa by delivering medical and emergency relief, resources and training sessions running into millions of dollars.

“In most of these places we empower communities and individuals from relief to self-reliance. Through our interventions, over 100,000 people have been reached with 927 rural poor communities covered so far”.

On that score, Mr Oduro called for more coordinated efforts from stakeholders to help develop practical and cost-effective innovations to provide thousands of people, especially children in rural communities with primary healthcare.

Speaking after the meeting, Commodore Issah Adam Yakubu, Chief Staff Officer of the Ghana Navy expressed great concern at the increasing widening of the gap between the rich and the poor in our society and called for strong and consented efforts on the part of all stakeholders to address the huge gap that exist in healthcare delivery in Ghana.

According to Commodore Yakubu each of us has a unique contribution to make to save innocent lives on time and called on his colleagues to make personal contribution to the programme. “The Ghana Navy is 100% committed to the Doctors in the Gap Programme and will do everything within its mandate to support it,” he assured.

Background

African Rights Initiative International (ARII) programme which has been in operation since 2007 seeks to promote human dignity and sustainable livelihood in Africa and beyond via education, free health care, women empowerment through training and Small and Medium Scale, SME funding.

ARII is fully committed to improving the lives of children, families and disadvantaged communities in the African continent. They work to empower people to work their way out of poverty, transforming their lives, their children’s futures and their communities.

ARII works with corporations, individuals and institutions to develop practical solutions to poverty alleviation in Africa and beyond. Their Global Impact Network platform provides the greatest opportunity for organizations, institutions and corporations, both home and abroad to make their own humble contribution their own people and to increase qualitative investments in securing the basic rights of all humanity to life, survival and security.

We are at the forefront saving lives, building the healthcare system in Africa, protecting children from exploitation, providing educational opportunities for children and providing financial-technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to create opportunities for the empowerment of women to sustain their livelihood.