Ghana MP Donates $45K Medical Gear, Fixes Nurses' Quarters

When Kangw Mathew Arenegbee received medical equipment worth $45,000 for his health center, he couldn't hold back tears of joy. For years, the facility chief watched staff struggle to treat patients without basic tools like blood pressure monitors, oxygen cylinders, and delivery beds.

The Eremon Health Centre in Ghana's Lawra municipality had operated without essential equipment since Arenegbee arrived in 2019. Health workers felt demoralized turning away patients they couldn't properly diagnose or treat.

Member of Parliament Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng responded to the clinic's $136,000 equipment request by purchasing the first batch of critical supplies. The donation includes an oxygen cylinder, delivery set, digital blood pressure monitor, nebulizer, suction machine, microscope, patient trolley, patient monitor, and essential consumables.

Ziedeng promised to deliver the remaining $71,000 worth of equipment, including an ultrasound machine and delivery bed, by year's end. "I can assure you that the rest of the items will be procured this year so that they will have a complete set," he told the emotional gathering.

The same day, Ziedeng commissioned newly renovated nurses' quarters at the Domwine Health Centre. Local women welcomed him with traditional music and dance to celebrate the $198,548 renovation project.

The quarters hadn't seen major repairs since construction in the late 1960s. Midwife Jocelyn Ansah Osei described how leaking roofs forced staff to constantly move their belongings during rainstorms, while roaming goats occupied a roofless section of the building.

The secure, weatherproof building now comfortably houses staff and has room for two additional nurses. This means the clinic can finally offer 24/7 service delivery with resident healthcare workers.

The Ripple Effect

Municipal Health Director Phoebe Balagumyetime explained that equipping peripheral facilities like Eremon will reduce patient referrals to the overloaded main hospital. Geographic barriers that once prevented rural residents from accessing healthcare are shrinking as local clinics gain diagnostic capabilities.

The improved staff housing at Domwine solves a critical challenge: attracting and retaining healthcare workers in rural areas. When nurses have safe, comfortable places to live, communities gain consistent access to maternal care, emergency services, and preventive health programs.

Ziedeng also personally committed to repairing the main Lawra Hospital's ambulance after all state ambulances broke down. The gesture addresses a municipality-wide emergency transport crisis affecting thousands of residents.

These investments represent more than infrastructure upgrades—they're restoring hope to healthcare workers who felt forgotten and dignity to patients who deserved better care all along.