The MTN Foundation has disbursed a total of 200,000 cedis this year to the 3Foundation to tackle maternal health and child mortality in Ghana. The amount is to be used by the 3Foundation, under the ‘Think Heart, Save a Child’ campaign, to identify and support the needy in society access corrective surgeries for hole in heart conditions. About 7,000 children in Ghana are born yearly with hole-in-heart condition but affected children whose parents are unable to bear the cost of heart surgery are left to die, according to the Health Ministry. Speaking to 3news.com, Sustainability & Social Impact Senior Manager of MTN, Robert Kudzo, observed that maternal health and child mortality is one of the initiative under its health focus area. “This is why we partnered with the 3Foundation and [National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital] to support these children with hole in heart. We hope this amount of money will go a long way to brighten the lives of these children; to change their lives as well and give them the second chance to life,” he said. “I personally feel proud about the initiative; but more especially, the brand of MTN is actually a caring brand and we are happy to support it,” he said. Mr Kudzo revealed that the success story of the partnership with 3Foundation and the Cardiothoracic Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was reflective in the number of patients it had touched with the fund invested. “I will like to entreat other corporate institutions to also support this initiative between MTN, 3Foundation and the Cadio-unit of Korle-Bu so that together we can give assistance to more patients who need support,” he added. The ‘Think Heart, Save a Child’ campaign by the 3Foundation is dedicated to providing the necessary healthcare to patients with heart defect. With support from the MTN Foundation, the campaign has in just a year supported nine children to get corrective hole-in-heart surgeries. The most recent one was conducted on Reynold Esuahdoh. Funds have been released for six other children to undergo surgeries for the hole-in heart condition.
Hole-in-heart is an abnormality in the structure of the heart. Children affected are born with this condition. Causes for this condition are still unknown. The major identifiable symptom is the blue skin. In Africans, it registers in darkening of the lips and fingers of patients. The condition usually drains patients of their energy making them easily tired from little activity. Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Media General, Adriana Akosua Adjei, said it was difficult for an average Ghanaian parent to afford an open heart surgery to treat the condition. “A full surgery cost between $6000 and $1500; these were based on the numerous requests that come to our desk. We appreciate the timely support of MTN Foundation but our doors are open to other philanthropists who wish to support these vulnerable children,” she disclosed. By Paul Selorm Agbo |3news.com |Ghana]]>