The BONABOTO branch UK, in partnership with the Upper East Regional branch, has donated three incubators to the Upper East Regional Hospital at the cost of $20,000.
BONABOTO has always been at the forefront of leading the crusade of residence of Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Bongo and Tongo living in the Diaspora to always remember home regarding the development of their people and land.
The donation comes at the back of several others in similar regard. The Executive members of BONABOTO UK branch, in 2017 embarked on a fundraising exercise in aid of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, following research by BONABOTO branch in the United Kingdom which indicated that newborn deaths in Ghana account for 46%of all deaths among children under 5.
Premature births are a leading cause of newborn death, with one in seven babies born before 37 weeks of gestation. It is twice in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions due to poverty, distance and little knowledge on pregnancy-related issues resulting in high newborn mortality.
Speaking to GBCGhanaonline, a Finance and Management Consultant and former Secretary of BONABOTO –UK David Atugiya said, it is not the first time BONABOTO UK responded to the needs of their people. He stated that 58 laptops were given to the then Talensi Nabdam District Directorate of Education in 2012, Bolgatanga Municipal Information communication Center 15 laptops and BONABOTO Secretariat 2 computers.
He added that a similar donation was made of blood pressure machines, Glucometers, refills to the Bongo District and other hospitals in the BONABOTO operational areas.
In his welcome address, the Acting UE Regional Medical Director Dr. Samuel Aborah explained that the Regional Hospital which is the secondary referral facility for the region has always put maternal and child healthcare as a priority in its health service delivery.
He indicated that the newborn care unit which has been in operation since 2014 with a dedicated team of health staff, has provided health services to the sick neonates from the Bolgatanga Municipality and beyond including North East Regions.
Dr. Aborah stated that admission rose to 834 in 2014 to 1,166 in 2019 significantly and death rate also decreased from 9.23% to in 2014 to 7.81 in the first half of 2020.
The items were received by the Deputy Director of the UE Regional Hospital in charge of Clinical Care, Dr. Abdul-Razak Dokudugu. He thanked the group for the gesture and promised that the items will be put to good use to enhance health service delivery in the region.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti.
