Saltpond (C/R), June 27, GNA - The St John's Catholic Church at Saltpond has adopted the Children's Ward of the local hospital and named it after the late Pope John Paul II. The Church held a mass at the Saltpond Hospital at the weekend to signify the adoption and the naming of the Ward.

Rev Fr Henry Egyir, Parish Priest in a sermon said the decision to name the Ward after the late Pope was in recognition of his love for children. Fr Egyir said the Church had so far spent four million cedis in improving facilities at the Ward. Rev Fr Dominic Afful, Hospital Chaplain, appealed to members of the Church and other admirers of the late Pope to contribute towards refurbishing the Ward.

Mr J B Abaidoo-Abban, Hospital Administrator, commended the Church and appealed to other organisations to help solve the numerous problems facing the Hospital, which was established in 1920. Mr Abaidoo-Abban advised residents not to take undue advantage of the free child delivery policy being offered by the Hospital to produce more children than they could cater for. He said the policy was meant to reduce the maternal and child mortality rate in the District.