A physician specialist and philanthropist, Dr. George Tettehgah, moved by an incident that took place in the Afram Plains South District on December 30th 2023 in which a nurse delivered a pregnant woman in a tricycle owing to the fact that there was delivery bed at the CHPS compound, pledged to contribute his widow’s mite to help better such situations.
Consequently, he inquired from a fellow Public Health Physician Specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Teye Adjase to identify two deprived districts that lack such amenities so that he will donate two delivery beds.
Therefore, at a short ceremony in Accra on February, 1, 2024, Dr. Tettehgah presented two delivery beds, one to the Afram Plains South District, specifically, Maame Krobo Health Center that serves the environs, and the Lekpongunor CHPS compound in the Ningo Pampram District which met the criteria of critically deprived communities in health delivery.
Dr. Tettehgah pledged to repeat this humanitarian gesture every six months where two deprived districts in the country will be identified for essential health amenities delivery. He added that it is his wish that the delivery beds go to truly deprived communities where its impact will truly be felt.
That means the communities must be sizeable, or to communities that do not have few deliveries in a year, and that there must be trained staff who can handle the equipment so that they do not end up being white elephants.
He indicated that together with Dr. Adjase and a few other physicians, they have teamed up to vet the various districts in the country and determine those that are extremely deprived and come to their aid. Therefore, the endeavor will become somewhat of a ritual.
For her part, the District Director of Health, Ningo Pampram, Madam Gifty Ofori Ansah, representing the Lekpongunor CHPS compound expressed extreme gratitude for the gesture and paid glowing tribute to Dr. Ajase for being at the fore-front of training health care workers in the country.
She indicated that he had done immense work for the Ghana Health Service GHS) and must be celebrated. The Ningo Pampram District Director of Health thanked Dr. Tettehgah for his selflessness and wish him well in his endeavours. She noted that people often think there are no deprived communities in the Greater Accra Region, but Lekpongunor is one such deprived community.
The Health Officer for Afram Plains South also expressed gratitude for the gesture, describing it as timely. He indicated that several factors account for Afram Plains South District to be described as deprived. Five districts are scattered around 3,051 square kilometers comprising both inland and islands.
Geographically, the people are scattered all about and extending healthcare is difficult and consequently four more CHPS compounds were created to help access. Motorbikes and other accessories are critically needed.
Apparently, Dr. Tettehgah though a practicing physician is also a qualified veterinarian and said though he acquired the delivery beds about a decade ago, its commercial price was around US410,000.00.
