Kumasi, July 4, GNA - Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, has appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to take the necessary steps to allow all Ghanaians resident abroad to exercise their franchise in all national elections. He said considering the numerous contributions Ghanaians abroad were making towards national development, it would be unfair to deny them their voting and political rights.

Mr Boafo made the appeal when he received 100 million cedis from the Asanteman Mma Kuo in The Hague, Netherlands on behalf of the Intensive Care Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi on Friday. The money, which was presented by Mr Kwaku Boateng, chairman of the association, was to be used to rehabilitate the Unit. At the same ceremony, a Japanese Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Helios, also donated a fully equipped ambulance worth 130,000 US dollars to the Unit. The ambulance could also be used to serve as a mobile clinic in the Kumasi metropolis.

Mr Boafo commended members of the association for the initiative and urged Ghanaians resident abroad to endeavour to invest in the country. He said the government was committed to the promotion of quality health care delivery to the people that was why it had initiated a number of programmes to equip hospitals throughout the country. Mr Boafo, however, said government alone could not shoulder all the responsibilities and appealed to individuals and organisations to assist the health status of Ghanaians. He commended the Japanese Embassy in the country for facilitating the donation of the ambulance and appealed to the hospital authorities to ensure the proper use of the money and the vehicle.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, thanked the donors for the gesture and said the vision of the hospital was to ensure excellent health delivery. He said the Asanteman Mma Kuo in the Hague was helping the hospital to establish a cardio thoracic centre while the Helios group through the JICA was assisting the hospital to train personnel to man the cancer unit which would be establish soon at the hospital.