Accra Psychiatric Children’s Ward gets playground

Little Angels Trust, a Children’s Charity Organisation, on Wednesday inaugurated a playground for patients of the Accra Psychiatric Children’s Ward.

Christened “Respite Centre,” it comprises a serene environment with artificial green grass and play games to serve as entertainment and relaxation dais for the children.

It was funded by the Ghanaman Community Reinvestment Grant Trust, Ghana, and St Mark’s Church Kennington Oval London, United Kingdom.

Dame Lavinia Enim, the Founder of the Trust, said the Trust mooted the idea to construct the playground during its yearly donation to the Ward and saw the need for the patients to have a playground to aid their recovery process.

She said the gesture was necessary because of the organisation’s deep passion for helping children with life-threatening illnesses like cancer as well as patients of the Psychiatric Children’s Ward in Ghana and UK.

She stated that the playground would form part of the children’s wellbeing and aid their healing process.

Dame Enim said the organisation works primarily by raising funds to support families to pay for cancer treatments, adding; “Over the years, “we have built a strong relationship with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and have supported patients and their families pay for treatments”.

She said the organisation provided periodic relief and social activities at the Cancer Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital through donations and special events.

Dame Enim called for public support for underprivileged children in the society, especially children who are terminally ill, because they believe that “a strong nation relies on healthy children”.

She expressed worry about the stress she had to go through before breaking ground for the commencement of the playground and appealed to the authorities to reduce the bureaucracy when organisations extend support to the Hospital.

Dr Pinaman Appaw, the Director in charge of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, thanked the organisation for the gesture and said it would give hope to the patients.

She apologised for any challenges that hindered the delay in commencement of the work adding that the Hospital was ready for any support.

Dr Appaw pledged to maintain the facility and appealed to the public to go to their aid to complement government’s effort in providing quality healthcare to the citizenry.