Health News of Monday, 24 March 2008

Source: GNA

NGO and British Military present toys to children of St. Joseph Hospital

Koforidua, March. 24, GNA- Children Hospital Play Centres, a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO), based in the United Kingdom and a British Military FM radio station, Garrison FM, Aldershot in Hampshire, London, on Easter Monday, presented toys and playing items to the children's ward of the St Joseph's Hospital at Koforidua. The items include toys, video games, children books, puzzles, teddy bears and a television set, which was raised through the support of the Garrison FM, Aldershot, Hampshire.

Making the presentation, Mr Castro Nana Siaw of the Children Hospital Play Centres, the presentation was to help provide a number of toys and playing items to Children wards to help speed up the recovery of sick children at the hospitals.

He said often, due to lack of sufficient toys and playing items in most health institutions in the country, sick children are often confined to their cots and that does not help in their speedy recovery, and that the Children Hospital Play Centres hopes to help address the situation.

Nana Siaw said his organization hopes to raise more toys and distribute it to hospitals throughout the Eastern Region and if possible extend it to other parts of the country.

Mr Andrew West of Garrison FM, who was present at the presentation, said he had learned a lot through his short visit to Ghana and expressed the desire to help raise more toys for sick children in the country. The toys were received on behalf of the St. Joseph's Hospital by the Director of the Hospital, Brother Johannes Baptista Torwoe. He thanked the donors and all those who played a role in the mobilization and presentation of the toys. He said the hospital was never expecting such a gift and expressed the hope that the toys and the books would contribute to the efforts of the teachers, who had been trying to support the sick children in the hospital.