Tema, March 14, GNA- The management and staff of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) on Tuesday presented a cheque of 50 million cedis to the Ghana Heart Foundation (GHF) to support the Cardio thoracic Centre. Mr Charles Duodu, Human Resource Manager of TOR said the workers considered the plight of the patients, and willingly responded to the call on the public for assistance by deducting from their monthly salaries for the purpose.

Mr Duodu said the staff of TOR had been contributing financially to support the surgeries of some cardiac patients on the quiet, and assured that the gesture would be sustained to help alleviate the suffering of the patients.

Dr Kow Entsua-Mensah, a surgeon at the Cardio thoracic Centre said, the Centre would have wished to provide free services to patients, but the high cost of the facilities and drugs does not encourage that, hence the subsidy of 50 percent while patients bear the remaining cost. He expressed the hope that with time the situation might change when some profits starts accruing from the National Health Insurance Scheme, which can be channelled to support patients. Dr Entsua-Mensah explained that the Foundation was instituted to mobilize funds to support the Cardio thoracic Centre because of the increase in cardiac ailments, which affects the chest, lungs and heart as well as the high cost of the facilities. The Surgeon said considering the seriousness of cases reported at the Centre they act promptly by operating on patients to save lives before demanding payments.

He debunked the impression that they demand payment before the surgery regardless of the patients' condition. "On assessment of the disease and condition of patients we perform surgery on charitable basis so we do not allow people to suffer unduly". In a situation where the patients can survive, we put them on medication and close observation while seeking for funds. Dr Entsua-Mensah described as commendable the donations by the TOR workers, which enabled the Centre to perform surgery on two patients. The Secretary of the Local Union of TOR, Mr Gideon Avorgdedor suggested that the workers be issued with cards to indicate their support to the Centre, so that in future when they are in need of the Centre's services the bills could be waived for them.