Zenith Bank Ghana has supported the Paediatric Oncology Unit at Ridge Hospital. This support is part of the Go Yellow Campaign for childhood cancer care.
The bank donated GH150,000 to aid in treatment and care for children with cancer. Additionally, they provided toys and gifts for children admitted to the Unit.
The Go Yellow Campaign was launched in September by Cure Childhood Cancer Ghana. It aims to mobilize funds for childhood cancer treatment and care in partnership with Ridge Hospital.
Mr. Henry Onwuzurigbo, Managing Director and CEO of Zenith Bank, led the team. He was accompanied by staff from the bank during this initiative.
Mr. Onwuzurigbo stated that supporting childhood cancer care aligns with their corporate social responsibility goals. The bank is celebrating 21 years of operations in Ghana.
He emphasized that healthcare is a key area of their CSR initiatives. The bank will continue to support communities where it can make a difference.
Mr. Onwuzurigbo noted that this support is not a one-time effort. Zenith Bank had previously assisted the Paediatric Oncology Unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
He expressed belief that every child deserves access to necessary cancer care. The bank aims to support affected children and their families continuously.
Dr. Nihad Salifu heads Paediatric Oncology at Ridge Hospital and founded Cure Childhood Cancer Ghana. She thanked Zenith Bank for its campaign support.
Dr. Salifu highlighted that childhood cancer care is expensive but curable. She urged stakeholders to invest in treatment for affected children’s futures.
She mentioned that the Unit has grown significantly over six years, from four patients initially to over 40 annually now. Some children require treatment lasting up to three years.
Initially equipped with four beds, increasing patient numbers forced the Unit to use its playroom for outpatient chemotherapy administration.
The Foundation supports various aspects of care including chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, nutrition, psychosocial support, and transportation for patients.
Dr. Salifu noted that transportation assistance has reduced treatment abandonment among childhood cancer patients from 30 percent to zero.
Dr. Adam Zakaria serves as Medical Director of Greater Accra Regional Hospital. He stated that the hospital provides affordable tertiary-level healthcare while developing the Paediatric Oncology Unit into a Centre of Excellence.
He assured donors and stakeholders about responsible use of funds provided for childhood cancer care initiatives.
Hanifa Yahaya chairs the board of Cure Childhood Cancer Ghana. She expressed gratitude towards Zenith Bank for their significant donation benefiting both the organization and its children under care.
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