Child Rights International (CRI), a child-centred organisation, has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his decision to take up the full cost of surgery to be performed on conjoined twins at the Greater Accra Hospital.
The organisation, in a statement signed by its Executive Director Mr Bright Appiah, said the decision of government to foot the entire bill is a commendable one.
“CRI wants to express its profound gratitude by thanking Mr. President for taking up the cost of surgery for the conjoined twins and giving them an opportunity to experience life without the limitations of their condition,” the statement said.
Per the statement, the president has demonstrated he has the interest of every Ghanaian child at heart, adding that any investment on children is no waste.
” Every Ghanaian child is a national asset,” the statement added.
Background
The Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Osei Opare, on Monday morning visited the twins and their parents at the Ridge Hospital.
During the visit, she announced that the president has taken up all the cost of this exercise and that the state is willing and ready to take over the cost.
Madam Osei Opare said the presidency is allocating GH¢15million to pay for the entire procedure.
Out of the amount, GH¢12million will be spent on specialised equipment needed for the surgery. This equipment will become an asset of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) after the surgery.
The amount of GH¢3million will be used to procure consumables, medication and tests the family would have had to pay for during the 12-18 month procedure to separate the Siamese twins.
“The president recognises the fact that this effort you want to put in is very much in line with the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda. We also noted in a Cabinet meeting that this is an opportunity to also equip us to do complicated surgeries and so on,” the Chief of Staff told the doctors.
CRI on medical experts
Now that government has taken up the cost, CRI said the task “is now in the hands of medical experts at Ridge Hospital, and the team must do everything within it power to ensure the safety of the twins”.
The organisation therefore wished the medical experts at the Ridge Hospital ‘all the very best’ in their quest to perform the operation.
“As Ghana prepares to set a new record in the field of medicine, we wish our medical experts the best and nothing else,” the statement said.
