AGAPNA donated a giant black water poly tank to the Mankoadze Health Centre
Healthcare in any country is the pillar of a nation, because “healthy people make, a productive nation.” In Ghana, healthcare is provided by the government and is largely administered by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services.
On average, Ghana spends an appreciable percentage of its GDP on healthcare infrastructure but this may not be adequate to serve both urban and rural centers in the country.
Urban centers are relatively well served than rural areas that lack modern healthcare services. Although the government is striving to provide quality healthcare systems, it has other interest that competes equally for the state's resources.
Mankoadze is a small fishing village located in the Central Region of Ghana about 10km from Winneba with an increasing population of about 2500 people of all ages. What distinguishes the coastal community from others is the awe-inspiring “Manko” hill setting that complements the sea, littered with palm-lined beaches.
They have a number of small-sized resorts spotted at strategic sites that give a refreshing view, however; the development of this community relatively is snail pace and cannot be compared to Winneba in terms of infrastructure and amenities. Most of the homes are built of breeze blocks and are really small.
The infrequent flow of water in this community makes it difficult for their healthcare facilities to run efficiently. It is in response to this dire need in the community that the Association of Ghanaian Advanced Practiced Nurses Abroad (AGAPNA) in June 2021 touched down through a representative, Ms. Ruby Akosua-Adae Gardiner to donate a giant black water poly tank to the Mankoadze Health Centre to help them deliver better services since the running of the health center is dependent largely on the flow of water.
According to census-based data (census around 2000), the number of Ghanaians residing abroad was 957,883, which represents approximately 4.6% of the total population.
The not-for-profit association, AGAPNA encompasses nurse practitioners and nurse anesthesiologists of Ghanaian descent who live in the United States of America with the burning desire to support the advancement of health care in Ghana especially in select communities like Mankoadze.
AGAPNA has collaborated with many Associations in the US and was part of the Ghanaians for Ghana initiative organized by the Ghana embassy to support the COVID-19 pandemic. The Association donated four thousand dollars ($4000.00) towards the COVID-19 fund.
The Association Of Ghanaian Advanced Practice Nurses Abroad (AGAPNA)also donated medical supplies such as bottles of hand sanitizers, boxes of KN 95 and N95 masks, surgical and examination gloves, infrared thermometers, disposable gowns, test kits, and test strips toward the COVID-19 initiative to the Mankoadze Community Health Programme and Services (CHPS) on June 2020.
The Association also donated glucometers, test strips, lancets to the Mankoadze Health Center to support the clinic with eminent needs on June 2021. The Association is also working on educational materials for the clinic to help it be poised to provide better health care services to the community.
Coupled with this, the Mankoadze Vocational College also benefitted from their benevolence when Ms. Ruby Akosua-Adae Gardiner passed on knowledge to the students through her presentation on ”Abortion Complications and Contraception,” a step to improve the health and safety of many healthcare recipients.
AGAPNA has steered the health campaign train in a goal-directed path to support the advancement of the healthcare system; which is their unique contribution to their homeland.
