Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd. has donated an amount of GCH25, 300 in support of some 49 needy people with different physical abnormalities who required plastic surgery in the Central and Western regions.
The donation, which was done through the Graft Foundation was to enable corrective surgery to be performed on needy people who could not afford the cost of medical support and surgery.
GCB, touched by the challenges of these people, partnered the foundation in the second phase of its eight-day project to correct defects like cleft in the palate and tumours among others.
In recognition and appreciation of this support, the Chairman of the Foundation Dr. Kwame Abrokwa-Yankyera presented a certificate and a plaque to Mr. Simon Dornoo, the Managing Director of GCB at the Head Office of the Bank recently.
He expressed his gratitude to the management of GCB for the gesture by the bank to the foundation which enabled it to purchase sutures and instruments for the Graft Hope Project which took place at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Dr. Kwame Abrokwaa-Yankyera said because there are only a few plastic surgeons in the country and the inability to raise funds to perform corrective surgery, there are so many needy people who are unable to have access to these surgeries.
"We are only eight in the country and currently we are strewn in two cities. That is Kumasi and Accra respectively. Korle-Bu has one of our centres and then the 37 Military Hospital. So I must say that the work is a lot and most of it is in the rural areas; in the past, foreign NGOs had supported a bit but I think as a nation we should be interested in our own people" Dr. Abrokwaa –Yankyera said.
He urged the Bank to consider creating an online payment platform to enable people abroad donate to the Foundation.
Mr. Dornoo was happy that GCB had brought smiles to the faces of the patients through its assistance to the Foundation.
He said very soon it will be possible for standing orders to be set up online for people abroad who want to donate to the Graft Foundation's account.
GCB as part of its social responsibility annually commits funds to the health and education sector for the benefit of the needy in society.
The eight-day Project saw the lives of 49 needy people with different anomalies living in the Central and Western regions of Ghana changed from an unpleasant state to a more fit to be seen state.
This initiative by the GRAFT Foundation is carried out annually to support and seek the welfare of individuals with health abnormalities which require plastic surgery.