Donkorkrom, Nov. 24, GNA - The Adventist Relief and Development Agency (ADRA), a humanitarian organization of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA), has donated drugs and six bales of used clothes worth 26 million cedis to the Presbyterian Hospital at Donkorkrom.

ADRA also presented documentary videotapes on HIV/AIDS and cassettes on HIV/AIDS songs to the hospital for its HIV/AIDS educational programmes.

The drugs makde up of antibiotics, painkillers, bandages and oral dehydrated salts (ORS) was said would be able to cater for 1000 patients for three months.

Presenting the drugs and the clothes at Donkorkrom on Tuesday, the Country Director of ADRA, Mr Samuel Asante-Mensah said as a humanitarian organization, it had the responsibility to assist the sick and the needy in the society to improve on their living standards.

He urged the hospital authorities to ensure effective use of the drugs to improve the health delivery system in the area and promised to donate medical books for the hospital's library.

Receiving the drugs, Dr. Clement Oppong, a medical officer at the hospital thanked ADRA for the assistance, which he noted, would greatly improve the health needs of the people in the district.

He said the high poverty rate in the area and the bad road network linking remote areas was compelling some of the people to rely on quack doctors and other unorthodox methods for their health needs, resulting in high maternal mortality rate.

Dr Oppong advised the people to register with the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to ensure a sustainable and affordable health delivery system in the area.

The General Manager of the hospital, Mr Fred Effah Yeboah said the Presbyterian Church had provided accommodation to all technical staff of the hospital, since it took over the administration of the hospital in 1995 and appealed to the government to complete an abandoned building meant for the administration, maternity and other wards for the hospital.

He said due to the deprived nature of the district, many medical personnel refuse to accept postings to the area and as a result, there were currently only 18 nurses instead of 32, working at the hospital. According to Mr Yeboah, there were two doctors and no pharmacist at the hospital, which had been classified as one of the best three quality assurance hospitals in the country.

In another development, ADRA presented 25 bales of used clothes to the SDA Church at Donkokrom and Tease for distribution to needy communities in those areas. Nov. 24, 04