Winneba, Dec. 1, GNA - Plan Ghana, a non-governmental organization, has refurbished and equipped the Paediatric Ward of the Winneba Municipal Hospital and has handed it over to the hospital's authorities.

The NGO spent 12,970.00 Ghana cedis on the project, Mr. Jacob K. Turkson, Southern Sector Director of the NGO, said at the handing over ceremony on Monday. Mr. Turkson said this was in response to an appeal by authorities of the hospital for assistance and that the project took three months to complete. Dr. Godfrey K. Morrison, Effutu Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), described the paediatric wing of the Hospital as very important to the Hospital.

He expressed regret that the unit, which was established 36 years ago, had over the years been saddled with many challenges.

He said vital facilities for neonatal intensive care are virtually non-existent at the Hospital and this had a direct bearing on the management of pre-term deliveries. Dr Morrison said the first half of the year recorded a total of 81 pre-term deliveries at the Hospital.

Dr. Morrison said that the Paediatric Ward, designed specifically to cater for the health needs of a vital and vulnerable segment of society, had over the years been denied adequate attention.

"It is against this backdrop that the Municipal Health Directorate approached Plan Ghana for support to revamp the ward in terms of equipment levels and rehabilitation to be commensurate with a modern child sensitive, child centred and child friendly unit." He praised the donors for their prompt support which is principally geared towards encouraging and inspiring nurses at the Paediatric Ward to promote health delivery in the area.

Mr John Kofi Kussachin, Municipal Co-ordinating Director, expressed his appreciation to Plan Ghana.

He appealed to health insurance scheme workers in the area to step up their sensitization activities to rope in more people into the system to ensure total eradication of the cash and carry system. Neenyi Adjeifi Ackon, a Divisional Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, appealed to

Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of maintenance and to stop taking for granted everything

provided by donors.