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Qatar, UGMC support 35 needy children to undergo heart surgeries
Dr Darius Osei right and Abdulaziz Jassim Hejji,Director of Programmes
and International Development,Qatar Charity at the programme.
At least 35 needy children suffering from congenital heart diseases have undergone surgeries at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
Congenital heart diseases are abnormalities in the heart that develop before birth.
The beneficiaries, aged between three months and 17 years, had the surgeries within a period of one week and it ends today, August 12, 2023.
The operation is expected to cost about $3,000 to $5,000.
The programme, sponsored by Qatar Charity, an International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), was in collaboration with UGMC.
Launching the programme in Accra, the Country Director of Qatar Charity, Mr Hassan Owda, noted that the UGMC had facilities to start the programme to pave way for more children to be given treatment.
He said that Qatar Charity had since 2018 implemented projects in water and sanitation, health, culture, education, economic and housing, among others.
Mr Owda stressed the need to maintain good relationship with the Qatar charity and UGMC for more collaboration in the future.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UGMC, Dr Darius Osei, said the initiative would promote an exchange programme among doctors and nurses of Qatar charity and UGMC.
He also noted the initiative would support needy children who were burdened with the cost of treatment, and called on the health practitioners to offer their support to the operations.
Mr Darius Osei commended officials of the Qatar Charity for the initiatives and assured them of thier continious support to help them achieve thier goals.
Qatar Charity was established in 1992 for the development and sustainability of needy communities.
Almost over four decades, Qatar Charity has grown to become one of the largest humanitarian and developmental organisations in the world, providing lifesaving assistance to those hit by conflicts, persecution and natural disasters, and creating durable solutions to poverty using sustainable development programmes.
By Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
