Accra, July 21, GNA - Dr. Cadman Mills, brother of President John Evans Atta Mills, on Tuesday presented equipment and items to some institutions in Accra to mark the president's 65th birthday, which falls today.

The Weija Leprosarium and Mamprobi, Kaneshie and Maamobi Polyclinics, received a generator, food items, dairy products, detergents and medical equipment that were presented on behalf of the first lady, Naadu Mills.

Dr. Cadman Mills said the president has asked his family members and friends to be charitable to the needy rather than spend time and money on the celebration of his birthday. Dr. Cadman Mills, who is also a member of the Economic Recovery team, said he would find out problems facing the beneficiary institutions and encourage them to suggest to the President how those problems could be solved.

He said "We are unfair to the least advantaged in the society but I am hopeful that the president would do his best to help these people". Dr. Cadman Mills, who interacted with the staff and patients of the institutions, said he noted that they experienced frequent power outage, water shortage and there was inadequate infrastructure. Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Head of the Weija Leprosarium, commended the first lady for the gesture and appealed to government to ensure that lepers benefited from the National Health Insurance Scheme. He expressed worry that government subsidy to the leprosarium has been stopped since 2006.

Rev. Campbell advised families not to abandoned lepers but send them to the hospital since the disease was curable, adding "some people neglect relatives suffering from leper and only come for their dead bodies for burial and big funerals". The authorities at Maamobi Kaneshie Polyclinics presented birthday cards and gifts for the president.