Koforidua, Nov. 21, GNA - The Koforidua Branch of the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities has appealed for public support to raise 45 million cedis to enable an 11-year-old Portia Oyinka of Koforidua to undergo heart surgery at the Korle-Bu Tecahing Hospital in Accra.

This was contained in a letter of appeal written by the Bureau and copied to the Ghana News Agency to help solicit the support of the public to raise the fund.

According to the letter dated November 13, this year, Portia who was diagnosed at the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCC) at Korle-Bu to be suffering from a hole-in-heart, requires two stages of surgery, costing 90 million cedis.

The letter stated that the Ghana Heart Foundation was willing to bear half the cost of the operation and that the NCC had performed the first operation.

The Bureau stated that the second part of the treatment which involves an open-heart surgery was long over due. It therefore appealed to the public to come to the aid of Portia.

The letter said anybody wishing to support the fund could direct their donations to the NCC or to the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities at Koforidua, located in offices of the Department of Social Welfare, Sorodae.

Donors could also reach the Bureau through telephone number 081-23346 or 0277804740, the statement added.