Try as I may, I cannot comprehend certain bureaucracies. I think I’m appreciating more what my mentor, UT’s Kofi Amoabeng laments about – that systems must work in this country! Systems, procedure, not the regimented sort that pigeon holes you, but dynamic nimble structures that ensure things are done, and done well and smoothly!
One week after the untimely passing of my sweet little 11 month old niece, Megan, her mother, my sister-in-law Nada displayed such courage as I have never encountered. Through her grief, she went online and sent an appeal to all her email contacts on the state of Korle Bu Hospital, and asked that we all endearvour to make contributions to uplift the hospice, particularly the Children’s Block!
Typically, though we agreed, at a time like that, it was hard for any of us to talk about it, lest we brought up our girl’s name, which we were sure would create some untoward anxiety. She was so suddenly taken away from us through what doctors described as cerebral malaria, a severe form of the disease that affects the brain! A happy girl, born in London where her parents resided, they had only a few months before returned home to settle! This was a year ago on September 3. The pain was sore and laden with anguish! For, as briefly as we had known her, Megan exhibited a graceful charm like her mother, and rascality like her dad, my brother Abeku. She was quite simply, adorable.
Hard as it is to say, some of these things better serve when they are made known, and I hope Nada will pardon me. But, for several moments, before she was finally covered and taken to the morgue, she lay on a bed with other children who were still alive! And that, even Nada herself felt was distressing for any mother!
So it is that, with her circulating mail, Sylvia Impriam, a nurse working at in London responded. Having visited Korle Bu before and knowing how bad things were, she sought to have some old hospital equipment her employers were discarding after routine maintenance replacement schedules. What a nice thing it would be to have them sent to Korle Bu! Excited, she contacted the Ghana High Commission in London to help ship them down. No! The High Commission couldn’t assist because there were no funds, they said.
There’s where Nada came into the picture. Somehow, she got roped in and with a circle of friends and the internet, managed through email to raise more than the 1200 pounds sterling needed! And only last week, she led a ‘delegation’ of Cynthia’s family, and hers, - including ‘yours truly’ - to make a formal presentation of some 18 beds among other very useful equipment to Korle Bu. I am so proud of her.
But, why did it take from January to August for it to happen. The High Commission in London came round eventually. They helped enormously, Nada impressed upon me, by facilitating for taxes and duties to be waived through the Ministry of Health. Yeah, but that was after the cash for freighting had been raised and Sylvia had beseeched them, trekking there on several occasions! And then Korle Bu handled the clearing.
Point is why are there so many bottlenecks in such a process? Hold-ups that clearly put so many people who want to help off! Such bureaucracy! And those items were so desperately needed too. So much so that, get this, of the 18 beds donated, only 2 were available for the presentation a week after they arrived because, as the administrators of the hospital aptly put it, they were happy to report that most of the items presented were already in use!
Why can’t there be a simpler way to get such donated gestures quickly down and put to use? Why can’t our High Comms verify the suitability of such ‘donations’ and set a system of actually accepting them once they ascertain their utility and ship them down ‘prompto’? And indeed, as the administrators said, our High Commissions are to take and ship all items donated and clearly marked for Korle Bu at no expense to the donor. So why was Syl given the ‘no funds’ run-around at first? Perhaps, she spoke to the wrong consular!
Be that as it may, the items arrived and are already in use and the management of Korle Bu are really pleased with their quality and quantity. And the family was beaming for having done a good deed that would be of benefit to everyone in this country, for you never know when you may be sped to Korle Bu for an emergency treatment where you might have need for what ‘Team Sylvia’ presented!
I’m told Korle Bu prefers equipment from Germany and the UK, and has challenges integrating stuff from other countries with their systems. So there, we must all take note, and advice others who may wish to assist. Nada and co mean to do more. They are arranging among other things to paint part of the hospital, all in the name of lending a hand as good citizens. What have you done for Ghana lately? Talking of doing things for GH, heard what Oppong Nkrumah at Joy FM and co are doing with their ‘Stand for Peace’ Campaign to stop politically motivated hostilities? They’re sending people from warring areas in the North to Rwanda as Peace Ambassadors! What a great way to make us see what war can do!
Me, I’m contributing my bit by encouraging theatre so I shall be among the audience at the National Theatre this Saturday following the antics of the cast of Uncle Ebo Whyte’s new play, ‘Unhappy Wives, Confused Husbands’. Think what theatre can do for GH. Do your bit for Ghana!
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