Koforidua, Dec. 4, GNA - The Majority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyepong, on Thursday presented medical equipment estimated at over 360 million cedis to the Koforidua Regional Hospital.

The items included ultra-sound scan machine, electro-cardiogram machine, respirator, X-ray machine and some beds.

Presenting the items at Koforidua, Mr Owusu-Agyepong said the Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles, Nothilfe of Germany, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) donated the package to the country. He observed that the country was losing its medical staff to foreign countries partly due to lack of job satisfaction as a result of the use of poor equipment.

The Minister said it was to supplement the efforts of government that he and the Minister of Interior and MP for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang and the Minister for Manpower Development and Employment and MP for Koforidua, Mr Yaw Barimah collaborated to get the equipment.

Mr Owusu-Agyepong explained that the all the items received cost more than 450 million cedis but some of them were presented to other health institutions in the Birim South District.

He urged the health personnel at the hospital to take good care of the equipment for them to last long.

Mr Owusu-Agyepong appealed to Ghanaians to register with the Health Insurance Schemes in their areas to enable them to benefit from affordable health care.

In another development, Mr Barimah, on behalf of the Minister for Manpower Development and Employment, presented a quantity of drugs and other medical supplies donated by the Later Day Charities of the Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints to the hospital to the Regional Hospital. He said there was the need to provide health centres with adequate equipment to enable them to provide good services to ensure a healthy people who could contribute to poverty reduction programmes and national development.

Receiving the items, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Obeng Apori thanked the Ministers of State for ensuring that the hospital received the items.

He appealed to government to provide the hospital with a new ambulance to replace the old one to enable the health institution to work effectively.