The Ga Central Municipal Health Directorate on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, received its first-ever ultrasound scan machine from the international engineering consultancy firm, SMEC.

During a presentation held at the forecourt of the Ga Central Municipal Clinic, the management of SMEC led by the company’s West Africa Manager, Jose Fernandes, handed over the brand-new machine valued at GHC103,600 to the clinic through the Ga Central Municipal Health Director, Dr Esther Odame-Asiedu.

Describing the occasion as a special one, Mr Fernandes said it was very important that SMEC is able to contribute to quality healthcare delivery in Ghana through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“For us, it is a special occasion and a very important one because we are integrated in Ghana, and Ghana for us is very important as a company, and that is why could convince the committee to bring this project to us here in Ghana,” he told the media.

The West Africa Manager for SMEC was hopeful that the company will continue to contribute to Ghana’s development in diverse ways in the future through CSR.

On her part, Dr Odame-Asiedu expressed appreciation to SMEC while emphasising the important purpose the machine will serve in comprehensive maternal health delivery within the Ga Central Municipality.

“As a facility, we see a lot of pregnant women coming in here to get quality health service but one of our major challenges is the fact that we do not have some equipment,” she said.

The municipal health director thus assured that the machine will be put to good use.

“We are going to make good use of the donation and ensure that we are able to render quality health service to the people, especially our pregnant mothers. So that they don’t have to go very far out of the district. You can imagine if in the whole municipality you come to a public health facility and there is no scan, it means that you have to go out of the municipality or go to a private facility to get that service. So this good deed means a lot to us as a municipality and as a facility,” she stated.

The Ga Central Municipal Clinic located at Santa Maria serves over 300,000 residents of the Ga Central Municipality which has no public district hospital.

As an engineering firm, SMEC has operated in Ghana since 1976 and established a permanent office in Accra in 1998. SMEC’s first project was a feasibility Study and Detailed Design services for the Bui Hydroelectric Power Project. Since then, SMEC’s project experience in Ghana has spread across various sectors of Ghana’s growing economy.