By Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey
Accra, May 23, GNA – Twellium Industrial Company, producers of Vena Mineral water on Tuesday donated GHC 200,000 worth of equipment to the Ghana Medical Assocation to help reduce neonatal mortality.
The equipment, which includes four incubators and four phototherapy units, will be supplied to neonatal care centers that do not already have them.
Dr Andrew Mensah, Chairman, Greater Accra Division of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) who received the donation in Accra, said neonatal mortality had increased due to a lack of treatment devices.
“Incubators in most health facilities have broken down due to lack of maintenance, at the district level, there are no incubators in most health facilities and this menace puts a lot of pressure on the few devices in the regional hospitals,” he said.
Mr. Kendrick Yehowada, head of events for Twellium Industries Limited, stated that the donation came after the GMA reached out to Verna to support hospitals with incubators and phototherapy units to help save the lives of newborns and reduce neonatal mortality.
He said the company, as part of its Changing Live campaign, paid the equivalent of $7000 for a female patient who was diagnosed with large left atrial myxoma and referred to the National Cardiothoracic Center.
Mr Yehowada thanked Ghanaians for their support of the Verna Mineral Water brand, saying, “Through our Changing Lives campaign, our goal is to improve the lives of more Ghanaians, especially the needy.”
Neonatal mortality refers to death within the first 28 days of life; early neonatal mortality refers to death before seven days; and late neonatal mortality refers to death between seven and 28 days of birth.
Most neonatal deaths occur during the first week of life, and about 1 million newborns die within the first 24 hours.
Among neonates, the leading causes of death include premature birth, birth complications (birth asphyxia/trauma), neonatal infections and congenital anomalies.
GNA