The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS) in the USA, through the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, has donated an ambulance to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba in the Central Region to facilitate healthcare delivery.
Alhaji Zubairu Kassim, the Effutu Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), handed over the keys to the Management of the Hospital at a ceremony at the forecourt of the facility.
He commended the CARS and Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation for the gesture and appealed for more aid to health facilities in the area.
Madam Virginia Leavell, the Chief of Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, in a statement read on her behalf by Nana Acheampong Ghartey, Founder of the Charlottesville-Foundation, expressed delight in presenting the ambulance to the Hospital.
She said in July 2023, the Effutu MCE led a team to Charlottesville to sign a Memorandum of Understating between Winneba and Charlottesville where they visited CARS on a familiarisation tour.
Madam Leavell expressed the hope that the vehicle would be a continuous reminder of the strong partnership between the two sister cities of Charlottesville and Winneba, which was one of the most vibrant relationships in Ghana.
“I hope this ambulance will go a long way to help the facility to accomplish its goals,” she stated.
“It is our hope that the vehicle will enhance public safety throughout Effutu and its environs by improving emergency response to save lives.”
Nana Ghartey expressed gratitude to CARS for extending a helping hand to the Hospital, which was now the Central Regional referral hospital, saying more support was needed in that direction.
Dr (Mrs) Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Central Regional Health Director, who received the key to the vehicle on behalf of the Ghana Health Service, handed it over to Dr George Kwame Prah, the Director of the Hospital, and expressed her appreciation to the donors for the support.
She gave the assurance that the ambulance would be used wisely and would see to its periodic maintenance to prolong its lifespan.
Dr Prah, on his part, said the hospital had two ambulances, which had broken down and appealed for one through various media platforms, which resulted in the donation by CARS.
He commended the donors and the Charlottesville -Winneba Sister City for their continuous support and said it would go a long way to help save lives and reduce maternal mortality.
He appealed for more medical consumables, supplies and tools to replace some of the old equipment.
Neenyi Ghartey VII, the Effutu Oma Odefe, who chaired the ceremony, cut a tape to symbolise the handing-over of the vehicle for operations.
He applauded the donors for the gesture and urged the Management to maintain the ambulance regularly.
