Accra, Dec. 29, GNA - The management and staff of the Ghana Cocoa Board on Monday presented a cheque for 200 million cedis to rehabilitate and refurbish the emergency unit of the Children's Block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The presentation, which is the first part by COCOBOD, was in response to the appeal made by the Hospital's Chief Executive, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng when he launched a 500-billion cedi endowment fund to refurbish the hospital in November last year.

Mr Kwame Sarpong, Chief Executive of COCOBOD who presented the cheque said the hospital served, not only Ghana but also other neighbouring countries as well and it needed to have all medical facilities.

He said Ghanaians were turning elsewhere for health services because the major health facilities were gradually loosing their manpower and staff.

Mr Sarpong urged management of the hospital to ensure that the manpower and supporting staff were properly rewarded to retain them.

He said the Children's block was chosen because children were what the nation looked up to, adding, "we cannot afford to loose them to sicknesses, which could easily be treated if the facilitates are there".

He pledged that COCBOD would make a second presentation the next year.

Prof. Frimpong Boateng commended the management and staff of COCOBOD for the gesture and urged other institutions to emulate them. He said plans were underway to give the hospital a facelift. Prof. Frimpong Boateng noted that the hospital would construct new blocks for haematology, traditional medicine and drug manufacturing. He explained that traditional medicine was very good and could cure many diseases, "but we would be liaising with the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine to expose the drugs to proper clinical trials to determine their efficacy and potency. "By so doing, we in Korle Bu can also testify and even recommend it to patients."

The COCOBOD donors inspected the children's block and the wings, which were closed down recently due to shortage of staff.