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| Press briefing by BONABOTO |
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| Team of doctors at the Male Theatre Ward |
A team of 25 medical professionals led by Prof. Francis Abantanga, a consultant Paediatric surgeon at the Komfo Anokye teaching Hospital has embarked on a medical outreach programme in parts of the Upper East Region. The team comprising of doctors, pharmacist, surgeons and anaesthetists among other paramedical workers have so far taken care of 400 cases with diseases of all kinds in six district hospitals of the region. The team also embarked on consultation services on breast cancer screening and education of nutrition. Speaking to Radio Ghana after performing few hernia surgeries at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Prof. Abantanga who is also a lecturer in the School of Medical Sciences said the outreach programme began December, last year under the auspices of BONABOTO, a union of citizens from Bolgatanga, Bongo and Talensi-Nabdam Districts of the Upper-East Region. The aim of the programme, he explained, was to offer humanitarian services to the less deprived in society through free medical support. According to him, surgeries in hernia, hydrosols and lumps over the body were the most diseases that were successfully carried out in the entire centre visited, though malaria was the most common disease identified at these centers. Giving the breakdown of the number of surgeries performed, Prof Abatanga said the team with support from nurses and other medical students carried out 39 cases in the Bongo District Hospital, 1 at Tongo Health Centre, 17 at Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, 13 at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, another 14 at Afrikids Medical Centre also in Bolgatanga and 17 at the Zebilla District Hospital. A number of people were also taken through consultation services. While touching on the successes and achievement chalked since the beginning of the programme, Prof Abantanga revealed plans by the team to extend their coverage to other deprived areas of the country. Financial constraint, he lamented, poses a major challenge to their activities, which, he added, was the reason for their inability to reach out to more vulnerable people in other districts of the region, particularly Bawku. He therefore appealed to individuals and organizations concerned to help provide financial aid to contribute in support the programme. At a press briefing later held at the conference hall of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly Hall, Prof. Abantanga denied rumours that the doctors involved in the free medical aid are mainly BONABOTO members. He said doctors who came for the outreach programme are not necessary part of BONABOTA as being speculated but rather a team of medical practitioners drawn from various regions of the country. Responding to questions from the press, Prof. Abantanga reiterated his call on the need for financial support and thanked the Regional Minister and other few personalities for their contribution in making the outreach programme a success. He also appealed to the various district assemblies to help sponsor students through the medical school and bond them to return to the region to serve their people. This, to him, will to some extent solve the acute doctor shortage in the region. The Regional Chairman of BONABOTO, Didacus Afegra thanked the medical team for the bold initiative and pledged the continuous support of BONABOTO to help bring quality health care to the doorstep of the poor and vulnerable.
GBC END IA/
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