The Western Regional Association of Nurses UK (WRAN) has donated some essential medical equipment to the Accident and Emergency of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital to support and enhance the care of patients.

The donation included 2 patient monitors, an ECG machine, 2 observation machines and 2 suction machines. At a brief presentation ceremony, the chairperson of WRAN UK Mrs. Winnie Kissi Ohene explained that the donated items were acquired through a fundraising ceremony in London as part of the 10^th anniversary of WRAN UK.

“We’ve been waiting so long for this but finally we can make an impact in the lives of people.”

Mrs Kissi Ohene highlighted WRAN’s special resolve to support the hospital and even to adopt the A&E department. She indicated that the A&E will soon receive a nebulizer machine and an oxygen concentrator as part of the items for this year’s donation.

It would be recalled WRAN had previously donated an anesthetic machine to the hospital. Mrs. Winnie kissi Ohene concluded her speech with an inspiring statement: “This is just the beginning of good things to come, and the Western Regional Association of Nurses UK has many plans to support the care of patients at the A&E”.

The Medical Director of the Hospital Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil who spoke on behalf of the staff, management, patients and clients of Effia Nkwanta expressed a heartfelt appreciation for the gesture. He thanked Mrs. Winnie Kissi Ohene and the Western Regional Association of Nurses UK for their immense support in enhancing the hospital’s capabilities.

“I promise that these items will be used for the sole purpose they were donated and I will personally ensure that they are well maintained.” He said.

Present at the presentation event was the Head of Hospital Administration, Mr Michael Danso, Head of Pharmacy, Mr Francis Darko Afari, Nurse incharge at the Accident and Emergency, Regina Quaicoe and other staff of the hospital.

Story by Stacy Adams

ENRH PR UNIT

Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has expressed a fervent dedication to promoting healthy childhood practices and investing in the future well-being of children. As part of this year’s Africa Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week which began on 6^th to the 10^th of May, 2024, the Hospital Public Health Unit carried out a number of important activities.

Addressing the launch of the week, the Head of Institutional Public Health, Dr. Nana Esi Gaisie articulated the diverse activities planned for the Child Health Promotion Week. These included child welfare clinic, deworming exercises, nutritional counseling, vitamin A supplementation, birth registration drives, and school health services.

The program launch took place at the hospital’s conference hall, gathering distinguished healthcare professionals.

Leading the charge were notable figures such as DDNS Marian Sophia Quaye and DDNS Annor Mozu, whose presence and support were appreciated.

DDNS Marian Sophia Quaye delivered a compelling presentation highlighting the critical role of immunization, child health and maternal health services.

PNO Araba Afedziwaa Quaye of the Public Healt Unit provided an insightful overview of the Expanded Program on Immunization, emphasizing its profound impact on child health outcomes. Notably, she highlighted a significant reduction in childhood mortality rates from 111 per 1000 live births to 40 per 1000 live births in 2022.

Eunice Erzoe Eshun, the health promotion officer, imparted key messages central to the program’s objectives. The message encompassed the importance of breastfeeding, promoting vitamin A intake to for strong childhood prevention, addressing malaria prevention, advocating for comprehensive immunization coverage, emphasizing on the significance of birth registration and regular monitoring of child growth through weighing programs.

The theme for this year’s Africa vaccination week is: Healthy Childhood: Invest In Your Child For A Better Future. Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital’s steadfast commitment to promoting Africa Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week reflects its unwavering dedication to safeguarding the health and well-being of children, paving way for a healthier and brighter future for a child.

Story by Stacy Adams

ENRH PR UNIT

A serial caller, Yaw Kissi, who spewed an allegation on Connect FM that 12 mothers died in labor at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital on one day has been made to retract and apologize that his allegation is unfounded and totally false. The serial caller even stated in his allegation on radio that he is an acquaintance of one of the said 12 women who died.

This false allegation has cast a slur on the services of the hospital, caused fear among prospective clients and deeply demoralized hardworking staff of the hospital.

Following the allegation, the hospital authorities reported the incident at the Sekondi District Police command who invited the serial caller to provide evidence of his allegation. Yaw Kissi however admitted that he had no basis and what he said was totally untrue.

The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has suffered a lot of damage over the years from the activities of such individuals who use the media to peddle falsehood about the hospital. Despite efforts by management of the facility to encourage complainants to use the hospital complaints system to address their concerns, many still object to this opportunity mostly because their claims are totally false.

Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has hosted a heartwarming ceremony to honor 35 retirees who served under various professional capacities at the hospital.  The hospital appreciated the retirees with a merry-making buffet and presentation of awards such as television sets and refrigerators.  Each of the 35 retirees drawn from 2021, 2022 and 2023 year groups received either a smart television or a refrigerator. Some outstanding retirees also received citations of honor.

The ceremony held on 15^th March, 2024, at the hospital’s conference room saw the attendance of esteemed guests such as Mr. Alfred O. Hughes, the Regional Director of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Nana Dr. Yaw Ofori Yeboah, the Western Regional Director of Health Services. Also in attendance were members of hospital’s management and some heads of departments and units.

The ceremony began with a prayer led by the hospital’s chaplain, followed by a rendition of the Ghana National Anthem by Madam Nana Ama Fordjour.

Mr. Alfred O Hughes, the chairperson for the occasion, expressed his profound gratitude for being part of the ceremony and shared a touching personal experience of once receiving exceptional care from a staff of the Hospital.

The Medical Director, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil who delivered a warm welcome address expressed gratitude to the chairman, sponsors, guests and hospital staff for their contribution and support for the success of the event. He highlighted the hospital’s achievements in staff welfare including the recent acquisition of a staff welfare bus and other initiatives to motivate staff and strengthen the hospital staff welfare association.

The ceremony was spiced with musical interludes during which some retirees showed their dancing skills. This also kindled an atmosphere for acquaintances to socialize and share memories.

The Regional Director of Ghana Health Services Nana Dr. Yaw Ofori Yeboah, delivered a brief statement, commending the hospital management for such a meaningful send-off ceremony for the retirees.

Each retiree received their gifts symbolizing the hospital’s appreciation for their hard work and dedication over the years. Citations highlighting their contributions were also presented.

The retirees expressed their heartfelt gratitude towards management of the hospital for recognizing their contributions. They promised to be good ambassadors of Effia Nkwanta and always contribute their quota whenever they are called upon for any assistance.

The ceremony ended with the chairperson’s remarks and vote of thanks by Ms. Genevieve Ankomaba Akorful.

Sponsors for the program include Tobinco Pharmacy, Nat’s and Sons Pharmacy, Medichem Pharmacy, O’nart Pharmacy and Delma Pharma Limited.

Story by

 Stacy Adams

PR Unit

The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital is currently the only hospital facility in the Western and Western North regions which can screen blood and declare it wholesomely free from diseases such as syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV and gonorrhea.
This is because the hospital is now equipped with a fully operational ELISA machine which has greatly enhanced the capacity of our blood service team to effectively screen blood in the region.
High-quality laboratory services plays a crucial role in shaping global clinical decisions serving as a functional elements for diagnosing, treating, caring, preventing and controlling diseases.
Blood screening is a vital laboratory service, and as per the National Blood Transfusion Policy, all transfused blood must undergo screening using the nationally approved standard, the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA)
The hospital therefore invites all peripheral facilities to seize this opportunity to screen donated blood at a reasonable cost. The ELISA machine can fully detect diseases such as syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Leadership of the Ghana Air force Medical Center in Takoradi has met with the management of Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH) to discuss effective ways of facilitating referral of patients from the military facility through the ENRH Referral Call Center.
The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital which is the only referral facility in Western and Western North regions has a 24hour service referral call center where referring health facilities in the region are to call for arrangements to be made to facilitate smooth and seamless referrals to help save lives.
The meeting which took place at the ENRH boardroom at the Administration block of the hospital was also attended by representatives from the ENRH Accident and Emergency Department.

Medical Director of ENRH Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil entreated Officers from the Air force Medical Center to appreciate the current difficulties of the regional hospital and assist in enabling the functionality of the referral system that has been instituted.
Speaking on behalf of their facility, the Medical Superintendent of the Air force Medical Center Dr JNA Carroll expressed appreciation for the audience by ENRH Management and called for a closer collaboration between the two facilities.

The Medical Director of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital(E.N.R.H.) has been named one of Ghana Health Service’s most outstanding staff in leadership excellence.

Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil emerged as the first runner-up in the category of medical director in secondary facilities across the country.
A special plaque was presented to Dr Tambil at the maiden Ghana Health Service Excellence Awards ceremony at the Accra International Conference Center.

The ceremony saw dignitaries like the Deputy Minister for Health, Hon. Tina Mensah, and the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo who was the special guest of honor.

In an address, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye indicated that the award is an integral part of the staff welfare and performance management system, designed to recognize and celebrate outstanding performance at both individual and institutional levels of the service.

He explained that the awards seek to instill patriotism and professionalism among dedicated health workers as well as to promote a culture of achievement and retain health professionals in deprived areas.

He added that the awards scheme, apart from enhancing customer care and promoting patient satisfaction also aligns with the tenets of the Network of Practice, a GHS flagship program that strives to maximize performance in the pursuit of Universal Health Coverage.

Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil is the Medical Director of E.N.R.H. under whose tenure the hospital has seen a tremendous level of progress in all areas.

A total of 66 facilities and individuals were awarded at the event. The awards comprised 18 General Staff Awards, 14 Leadership Excellence Awards, 18 Institutional Awards, 15 Special Awards dedicated to development partners and Organizations that have contributed to healthcare delivery in the country, and 1 Overall National Award.

The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital is currently undergoing assessment by the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) to be accredited to begin fellowship programmes for doctors.
In line with this management of the facility has been engaging with the leadership of the college to institute the necessary arrangements for the commencement of the initiative.

On Monday 20th November 2023, some heads of faculty at the GCPS led by the Rector Professor Richard Adanu visited the facility to continue with activities towards realizing the initiative.

When the initiative successfully comes on stream, fellowship trainees for the general specialty areas will have opportunity to train whilst providing healthcare in their parent hospitals as part of their training.
The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has been given a green light to soon begin fellowship training in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In an address to some faculty heads and specialist doctors at the Hospital conference center, the Medical Director of ENRH, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil explained that the initiative is in line with the redevelopment of the Hospital to become a modern tertiary facility.

The Rector of the GCPS, Professor Richard Adanu indicated that the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital is endowed with the needed facilities for the initiative and encouraged management of ENRH to adopt a few recommendations for the full accreditation by the GCPS for commencement of the programme next year.

Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has marked World Prematurity Day with a special ceremony which brought parents of premature babies to learn, share experiences and celebrate the lives of preterm babies.
Preterm babies are those born before completion of the 37th week of pregnancy. World Prematurity Day, observed annually on November 17, raises global awareness of the challenges for women and babies associated with preterm birth, and celebrates the lives of preterm infants. Preterm birth is a leading cause of death among children under five, with an estimated 15 million babies (one in ten) born prematurely worldwide every year.
The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital has earmarked the whole month of November to create awareness about the condition. The global theme for this year is Small Actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate Skin-to-Skin Care for Every Baby, Everywhere.
Making a demonstration of the kangaroo mother Care at a gathering of some parents of preterm babies at the conference hall of the hospital, a midwifery officer of the hospital Esi Panford explained the importance of skin to skin care and exclusive breastfeeding for preterm babies.

According to her the skin-to –skin provides warmth and promotes bonding with the babies. She added that the method is beneficial for the baby’s growth, development and overall well-being.
A cake was cut to mark celebration of the day.

Parents were treated to some refreshments and music.

Story by Stacy Adams:
PR Unit