Accra, Oct. 25, GNA - The Ghana Police Service on Wednesday donated a cheque of 200 million cedis to the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital to support the work at the Centre. Mr Patrick Acheampong, Inspector General of Police, who led a delegation to do the presentation, said the money was accrued through the deduction of 5,000 cedis a year from the salary of Police personnel totalling 90 million cedis with the rest taken from the Police Welfare Fund.

He noted that the Centre through the Ghana Heart Foundation was providing good services and needed to be encouraged hence the donation to support its work. The IGP expressed the hope that the amount donated this year could double or triple since Police staffs were willing to donate more than 5,000 cedis a year. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Chief Executive of the Hospital, said monies donated to the Ghana Heart Foundation were used for patients and noted that the Foundation was going to be more relevant with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He explained that heart diseases did not fall under the Scheme hence the need for more of such donations to support people with cardio problems.

Prof. Frimpong Boateng said the Foundation contributed 50 per cent of the cost of surgery for Ghanaian patients, hence a patient required a minimum of about five thousand dollars to undergo surgery. "We provide first class service at the cheapest cost," he said and noted that the Centre treated about 500 patients every year. He said, 93I am very proud of the Ghana Police Service." The National Cardiothoracic Centre was inaugurated in April 1992 to deal with heart related problems. 25 Oct. 06