UKGCC mobilises corporate, public support to strengthen neonatal care at PMLCH

The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) has mobilised financial and material support for the Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital (PMLCH) in Accra to strengthen neonatal care and enhance security as its corporate responsibility initiative marking its 10th anniversary. The support comprised cash donations totalling GHS923.165.00 which will fund the purchase of three specialised incubators for the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) amongst other things.

The funds were raised through UKGCC’s public fundraising drive and contributions from member companies, including Fidelity Bank Ghana and Blue Skies Products Ghana LTD. Furthermore, UKGCC member company, G4S Security Services LTD. has installed a CCTV monitoring system across designated areas of the Hospital worth GHS67,917.44,in response to security and operational needs identified by the Hospital’s administration.

Sustaining life at the NICU Speaking during the presentation ceremony to PMLCH, Adjoba Kyiamah, Executive Director of the UKGCC, shared the strategic vision behind the initiative, emphasising that marking a decade of trade facilitation and investment required leaving an indelible, life-saving imprint on the host community. “As the UKGCC celebrates ten years of driving economic growth and trade relations between the United Kingdom and Ghana, we recognise that true business sustainability is anchored in social well-being,” Kyiamah stated.

“Equipping the NICU at Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital with state-of-the-art incubators enables us to put this to practice, while ensuring that fragile, premature infants are given the precise environmental conditions and real-time vital tracking they require to survive and thrive in advancement of the United Nations SDG 3.” The initiative also advances SDG 17, as Kyiamah extended her gratitude, on behalf of UKGCC’s Executive Council, UK-based Advisory Board and team to the corporate donors, UKGCC member company, IT Consortium’s digital crowdfunding Chango platform, and all the individuals who made donations, for their support.

These contributions demonstrated the power of collective action. She also acknowledged the Ga Mantse Foundation whose own fundraising campaign for PMLCH is what first drew the UKGCC’s attention to the plight of the Hospital. Timely relief for paediatric care For her part, Dr. Mame Yaa Nyarko, Medical Superintendent of PMLCH, expressed appreciation to the UKGCC for placing the needs of children at the centre of its anniversary CSR initiative and also acknowledged the companies, foundation, and members of the public whose contributions made the intervention possible.

“We are extremely grateful to the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and to every company and individual who responded to the appeal. UKGCC’s support goes beyond facilitating the donations; it demonstrates the power of strategic partnerships, advocacy, and collaboration in addressing critical healthcare needs,” Dr. Nyarko noted. “For us at PMLCH, these funds represent an important contribution towards strengthening neonatal care and improving survival outcomes for newborns, particularly the most vulnerable infants who depend on specialised and timely medical attention.

Especially as we celebrate Prematurity Awareness Month, this donation is timely and relevant for our sick and small babies. We also appreciate the installed and planned security enhancements which will contribute to a safer hospital environment. We believe that every child deserves a fighting chance at life, and partnerships such as this bring us closer to making that aspiration a reality.” Collective effort The campaign used documentary storytelling, interviews with hospital personnel and parents, social media advocacy, and donor engagement to raise awareness of the hospital’s neonatal equipment needs and mobilise support from businesses, foundations and members of the public.

For UKGCC, the intervention reflects its commitment to extending the value of its business network beyond trade and investment to address important community needs. As UKGCC marks a decade of operations, Kyiamah said the initiative builds on previous fundraising efforts which supported the establishment of a clinical trials unit at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, and the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation.

“Our previous fundraising efforts, alongside this latest initiative for PMLCH, demonstrate our belief that the relationships built through business can extend beyond commercial opportunities to make a meaningful contribution to society,” she said. The official presentation ceremony brought together representatives from UKGCC and senior Hospital administrators.