The Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch, has adopted the 37 Military Hospital Children’s Ward as its ‘nursing’ project.
That means the internationally recognised humanitarian service organization’s Accra Airport branch would, henceforth, take full responsibility for keeping the Children’s Ward in good condition and also ensure the beautification of the edifice at all times.
The President of Rotary International, Jennifer Jones cutting the sod to officially signify the commissioning of the 37 Military Hospital Children’s Ward
The Rotarians would be working hand-in-hand with the management of the 37 Military Hospital to achieve their set goals in this regard.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the two parties, recognizing that children are very vulnerable in society and must, therefore, be properly taken good care of, especially when sick in a conducive environment.
The move by the Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch, was revealed when the President of the Rotary International (RI), Jennifer Jones, was joined by the Commanding Officer of the 37 Military Hospital, Brigadier-General Azumah Bugri and some other management staff to commission the refurbished Children’s Ward in Accra on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.
The refurbishment exercise cost the Rotarians a hundred thousand US Dollars (US$100,000.00).
More Rotary impactful projects
Prior to cutting the sod to signify the official commissioning of the refurbished Children’s Ward, Jennifer Jones told the gathering that she was proud of what the Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch, has done.
She described the project as very impactful and called for more of such developments through partnerships or collaborations in the future.
“What you have created is dignity. What you have created is hope. That is what a child and mother need when they come into this facility. How many of us have been to the hospital before? We know that when we go there, it is not for good reasons.
“You need to have a place that provides comfort. You do not have to live under a tree and get closer to a child. This [refurbished Children’s Ward] is a true meaning for impactful work”, he noted.
She added “When we talk about sustainable impactful work, this is the best practice. Children see these colorful characters – I can see these on the walls behind us.
They may be disturbed but feeling a little bit normal makes them all that much better. Maternal and child health is one of our primary areas of focus.
“The most important part of what we are seeing here today is the collaboration between the 37 Military Hospital and the Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch.
You can’t do these things alone. You need to do them together; you need to work together so that we can create lasting change in our communities and our world and for these families, lasting change upon themselves”.
Background
The move to renovate the 37 Military Hospital Children’s Ward started in 2018 when the District Governor nominee, Mr.Amankwah expressed concern over the state of the ward after visiting a patient.
He then proposed to the Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch to change the ceilings of the ward, especially, the insulations, since it was the one generating heat in the ward, thereby affecting the patients and the nurses.
This prompted a visit and a thorough assessment of the facility by a team from the Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch, leading to the complete renovation of the facility where the walls were painted with bright colour paints to cheer the children up.
The sponsors also provided brightly coloured beddings for the children to enjoy when on admission, as well as air conditioners to at least give the children the ambiance they need for recovery. Television sets, a library, and a play area were also provided so that those getting better could also enjoy live.
The area was also stocked with a lot of toys and books that are easy to read at various stages.
During the renovation exercise, space was also created to accommodate mothers who bring their sick children to the health facility. Maternal and Child Health is one of Rotary’s seven major areas of focus.
The Commanding Officer of the 37 Military Hospital, Brigadier-General Azumah Bugri, also commenting on the refurbished facility, said “the hospital is particularly grateful to Rotary Club for the perfect selection of the ward and the focus it has placed to support the ward”.
According to him, what is so remarkable about the refurbished ward is the provision of a library and the provision of a conducive atmosphere for mothers who come with their children when they are admitted to the health facility.
“Childhood is a mandatory transition to adulthood which we all have to pass through. And it is hard time humanity demonstrated what you have done by ensuring that they go through this transition in safety and in good health irrespective of their socioeconomic background.
Rotary Club, Accra Airport Branch did it in 2018 and came back in subsequent years and fixed other aspects of the facility.
This relation has been taken a step further from a simple assistance to what we are witnessing today – adoption. We are most grateful.
Our interactions with Rotarian groups, Rotarian Afua Ababio, and Rotarian Theresa Osei Tutu have assured us that the Rotary Club really means business and the issue of MoU is on it to officially mark its beginning”, he posited.
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
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