The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, has called on faithful believers of the church to help raise $2 Million to build an ultra-modern children hospital to complement the health need of the children.
At a sod-cutting ceremony held in Accra at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission at Kwabenya in the Ga East Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, His Grace, Bonaventure Kwofie charged the church to help realised the dream of building a paediatric hospital to augment the existing children hospitals which is christened ‘Legacy of Hope.’
In a speech read on his behalf he said the project is aimed at reaching out to the children by doing what we can do to help rise above their pain.
He said currently apart from the Princess Marine Children Hospital which over the years focused on child health, that is why ‘Legacy of Hope,’ is been constructed to complement the health needs of Ghanaians.
Estimated to cost $2m, the hospital will have a counseling, psychological, physiotherapy, cancer and a unit for paediatric oncology research.
The first phase of the project, will be constructed over a five-year period and is being funded by the church locally with support from its international members.
In his welcome address, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev John Bonaventure Kwofie, explained that the project is in response to the needs of children who require specialized medical care.
He said, although there are paediatric units at various hospitals in Accra, the Princess Marie Louis hospital at Ga Mashie, is the only major children hospital.
The construction of the hospital, he emphasized is also to help uplift the children which is in line with the health doctrine of the Catholic Church.
The Church, he further noted cannot offer all the solutions to the world’s problems, but in its small way will contribute to alleviating the problems.
Three committees, namely the Finance, Project Management and Fundraising, are to oversee to the successful execution of the project.
As part of the sod- cutting ceremony, an amount of Gh¢66, 500.00 cash was realized from fundraising from members in addition to a $1000.00 cash, while pledges made amounted to Gh¢157, 000.00.
The outgoing Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. Benjamin Botwe Nyarko, who released 4.44 acres of GAEC lands to the Catholic Church in a goodwill message, said the land was to help the church join both the Atomic and the Ga East hospital at the health enclave of the Commission when they needed land for such a project.
The land which was lying behind the Catholic Church at Atomic which was initially going to be used for the project according to him, was too small.
In view of the foregoing nature of the project, the Atomic Energy Commission, he noted saw reason to allocate land to the church to embark on such a project.
The project, he believes will help reduce the cost element of some childhood ailment such as cancers, which he indicated are on the rise.
Later in an interview, he said the issue of encroachment is being addressed with the erection of a fence wall to protect the remaining land.
