Management of Serene Insurance, a member of the First Sky Group, has hosted its second Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with management and inmates of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
The event, according to Serene Insurance, was to reflect on the birth of Christ and the salvation it brings to mankind while providing valuable opportunity to highlight the positive steps that can be taken to promote mental health and well-being.
As part of the event, the company donated various items worth GH¢100, 000 to aid in improving mental healthcare in the hospital. The items include toiletries, drinks and foodstuffs, among others.
CEO of Serene Insurance, Mercy Naa Koshie Boampong, said the company’s engagements with the hospital over the past year culminated in other supports provided through renovation of infrastructure, quarterly investments and occasional visits to the hospital.
She said Serene’s intervention has in no small measure contributed to minimising discrimination and stigma while deepening knowledge of available support to address issues that tend to aggravate and prevent people from seeking and accessing help with mental health issues. “This outdoor annual Carol Service has become an integral part of the Serene Insurance’s corporate social responsibility initiative. It will be the company’s way of giving back to our immediate community in a practical way through the joy of the Yuletide,” Mrs Boampong said.
Executive Chairman of First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, said the ceremony has become an annual event which will be celebrated with the inmates and management of the hospital each year. He said a key agenda of the group’s subsidiaries is to make society better through impactful interventions. He asked that mental health checks be prioritised in order to help in mitigating effects on vulnerable people.
Medical Director – Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Kwadwo Marfo Obeng, said the gesture from Serene Insurance is appreciated by management of the facility. “Since last year, we’ve seen tremendous support from the company. The company has greatly prioritised inmates’ welfare and it is refreshing that we have been recipient of that kindness in this year as well,” he indicated.
The Corporate Chaplain, First Sky Group, Rev. Dr. Sylvanus Amegashiti-Elorm, reminded the congregation to always extend love to victims of mental health, particularly inmates of the hospital. “As we celebrate the birth of Christ through the love of God, it is important that we also exude such brotherly love, especially to inmates of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. This type of love and attention to vulnerable people is always the desire of God, and it comes with manifold blessings,” he said.
