Accra, April 01, GNA - MTN Ghana Foundation said on Tuesday that it had selected the second floor of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Maternity Block as the Foundation's health flagship project. A statement released by MTN in Accra said it was providing 600,000 dollars towards the refurbishment of the floor to facilitate improved health care for pregnant women and babies. It said the money was funding set aside ahead of the 2008 budget of the Foundation for MTN Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) flagship projects.

The statement said the project had received the approval of the Foundation's Board of Directors and it was being implemented in partnership with the Women's Caucus of Parliament and the Ministry of Health.

The statement said the Foundation selected the maternity block because of its importance as the national referral point for the provision of critical and specialised maternal health care. "The Korle bu maternity block currently lacks several facilities including adequate numbers of labour wards, operating theatres and state of the art equipment to efficiently provide health care for pregnant women and babies.

"As a specialist unit, services of the maternity block are national in nature and therefore available to women and babies across the country."

The statement said the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation, Mr Fraanklyn Manu indicated that the choice of the project was in line with their current focus areas, namely health and education.