Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the Minister of Health, has donated a 20-seater bus to Lekma Hospital in Accra.
During the donation ceremony on May 20, 2024, Dr. Okoe Boye, a native of Teshie, emphasized his personal connection to the hospital, having previously volunteered there when he was a Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku Constituency.
He noted that this experience gave him an understanding of the hospital’s challenges.
“Just a few months ago, the medical director informed me that they struggle to find a bus to pick up nurses and health workers and then drop them in a community to do weighing and other activities.
“So, I talked to a few friends, and we were able to raise half a million Ghana cedis to procure this 20-seater Mercedes Benz bus. The idea is to support health workers so that once they work in a very comfortable environment, they can be motivated to take care of us,” he said.
He also highlighted plans for the hospital’s expansion, set to begin under his tenure as Minister of Health. According to him, the hospital, initially built through a bilateral agreement between the governments of Ghana and China, will soon enter its second phase of construction.
“The good news is that the Chinese government has made us understand that they are willing to expand this hospital because the population of Accra is increasing.
“When I was a Member of Parliament, the assembly allocated extra land for the construction. So, we will work hard, and this year the Chinese and the Ghanaian governments, through the Ministry of Health, will start the expansion project,” he added.
Greater Accra Regional Minister Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, who accompanied Dr. Okoe Boye, praised his colleague’s dedication and generosity.
“This morning, we are here to witness a gesture from one of the finest politicians in this country. In every church, in every society, in every family, in every group, God gives you somebody that would come and lift that group, and this is what we see in Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye,” he remarked.
Dr. Akua Afriyie Gyimah-Asante, the Medical Superintendent at Lekma Hospital, received the vehicle on behalf of the hospital and expressed her gratitude.
She assured the Minister that the bus would be used for its intended purposes, enhancing the hospital’s outreach and healthcare services.
The donation ceremony was also attended by Mordechai Quarshie, Municipal Chief Executive for Ledzokuku Constituency, board members from the Ministry of Health, Isaac Ofei Baah, Head of Public Relations at the Ministry, as well as nurses and supporters of the New Patriotic Party.