Kidney care support will remain a CSR priority of Asaase, says Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko

The chairman of the board of Asaase Broadcasting Company Ltd, a leading media group in Ghana and operators of the Asaase Radio brands, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has said that supporting kidney care in Ghana will remain topmost on the organisation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda.

Asaase Radio, acting through its CSR affiliate, the Asaase Foundation LBG, has committed itself to supporting kidney health care in the country since its establishment three years ago, with support from partners in Ghana, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries.

Addressing guests at a ceremony on the forecourt of Asaase Radio in Cantonments, Accra, on Friday (16 June 2023) to hand over a first batch out of 13 state-of-the-art dialysis machines to beneficiary hospitals across the country in line with the Asaase Foundation’s kidney health campaign, Otchere-Darko said Asaase Radio is committed to making a strong difference to health provision in Ghana, particularly in the area of kidney care.

The donation ceremony climaxed multiple milestone anniversaries of Asaase Broadcasting Company’s radio brands in Accra (99.5, which is three years old), Kumasi (98.5, which is two years old) and Tamale (99.7) and Cape Coast (100.3), which are both a year old.

“At Asaase, we believe that success is measured not just by financial achievement, but by the impact we make in the lives of our communities. Our CSR agenda serves as a guiding light, leading us to create transformative differences, especially in the field of kidney care,” Otchere-Darko said.

“Health is humanity’s most precious asset but today kidney diseases are a silent plague, afflicting thousands and causing immeasurable suffering. Asaase Foundation is helping to rewrite the story of kidney health care in Ghana, bringing healing and hope to patients and families, and building a healthier future for all.”

Beacon of compassion

The Asaase Foundation, Otchere-Darko said, “has emerged as a beacon of compassion to counter the challenge of kidney disease in Ghana”.

The country, he pointed out, “has no renal transplant programme. It costs a lot, even for those who can afford it, to get a transplant abroad.

“Dialysis services remain a costly and inaccessible mirage to many patients. We have embarked on a journey, hand in hand with medical professionals and organisations, to revolutionise kidney care and restoration, one life at a time. Our commitment to this cause is unwavering.

“To further it, the Asaase Foundation has embraced a holistic approach that encompasses awareness, prevention, treatment and support. Our vision extends beyond survival; it is about restoring dignity and igniting a renewed sense of hope,” the chairman said.

“Through strategic partnerships, we have amplified our impact, reaching deep into underserved communities. Together, we have helped hospitals where dialysis was a distant dream become havens of healing, creating access to safe and essential treatment. We have become a voice for those silenced by this silent killer, raising awareness, facilitating early detection and improving health-care infrastructure,” he said.

Fire of hope

Otchere-Darko told guests at the ceremony that “Asaase’s work in kidney care is not just about changing statistics” but also about “touching people”.

“It is about the unwavering belief that every Ghanaian deserves the chance to thrive. Together with our partners, we are a force for change, united in our vision to fan the fire of hope.

“Today, I extend an invitation to every one of you to join us on this journey. Together, we can raise awareness and rewrite the story of kidney care in Ghana,” Otchere-Darko said.

“Let us seize this moment to be the change we wish to see in the world. The power to heal lives lies within our grasp. Let us create a future where kidney diseases no longer steal lives but produce stories of resilient triumph,” he urged.

Milestones

On the milestones achieved by Asaase Radio’s four current stations, Gabby Otchere-Darko praised the work done by George Andah, the recently chief executive officer of the company.

He also thanked “the board, management, journalists and all ancillary staff, who make this station the force for change that it is”.

“By providing information that is entertaining, impactful and focused without being sensational or offensive, and by insisting on getting the facts right, Asaase is showing what is possible by championing African excellence,” Asare Otchere-Darko said.

Distribution

Over the past two years, the Asaase Foundation has sourced 16 dialysis machines.

In 2022, it handed over two dialysis machines, one each going to the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa and the Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani.

Early this year, it installed a third dialysis machine at Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, in the Western Region.

At the ceremony on Friday, the Asaase Foundation handed over seven machines to hospitals in Accra (Ridge), Bolgatanga, Enchi, Hohoe, Obuasi, Sogakokpe and Sunyani.

Four more of the dialysis machines are immediately available for allocation to other hospitals, and two further machines will become available within the next four months after adjustment by a specialist provider.

St Helier Hospital

The dialysis machines were secured with the support of the St Helier Hospital, which is located in the London Borough of Sutton.

St Helier is run by the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group along with Epsom Hospital. It offers a full range of medical services, including a 24-hour accident and emergency department.

The site of the hospital is also home to the South West Renal and Transplantation Service and the Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children, a dedicated children’s hospital.

St Helier Hospital is a major teaching hospital for St George’s, University of London, and is a main teaching site for university-level medical students.

The hospital was commissioned in 1934 when Surrey County Council acquired a 999-year lease of ten acres of land on the St Helier council estate, named in honour of Mary Jeune (Baroness St Helier), a prominent alderwoman of London County Council.

Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra

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