Tuobodom (B/A) Aug. 8, GNA - A 30-member volunteer squad of the Red Cross Society has been inaugurated at Tuobodom in the Techiman Municipality.

In an inaugural address, Mr Cephas Omeh Boafo, Brong Ahafo Regional Accountant of the Society appealed to the public to discard the notion that Red Cross volunteers only rendered services at football stadia. "The contributions of the volunteers towards nation building cannot be over emphasised", he said and asked people to see the Red Cross as a development partner.

The accountant emphasised that the Red Cross had contributed immensely to the provision of hand-dug wells and household latrines in some selected communities and institutions at Berekum, Wenchi, and Techiman districts.

Mr Boafo urged the volunteers to devote themselves to the work and appealed to the public, individuals, churches, traditional authorities, district and municipal assemblies to support the volunteers.

Mr Joseph Yeboah Asiamah, Chairman of the Techiman Municipal branch of the Society said the Red Cross had operated for the past 65 years as a non-profit voluntary organisation committed to alleviating human suffering.

He said the Techiman branch had opened zonal branches at Kofoso, Hansua, Tanoso, Aworopataa, Offuman, Forikrom and Tuobodom with 300 volunteers.

Mr James Yeboah, Tuobodom Chairman of the Society indicated that the formation and birth of the Society came into being when 13 members came together to offer free blood donation at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital in 2004.

He said the members through their initiative had embarked on a large-scale production of mushroom and efforts were being made to start a bee-keeping project.

Mr Nicholas Sakordie and Mr Emmanuel Nketia, Assembly Members for Dompoase and Adantaase electoral areas at Tuobodom respectively called on the volunteers not to play politics with their duties. Mr Francis Tawiah, Administrator of the Holy Family Hospital, who presided, charged the volunteers to focus on their work to be able to face problems facing the community.