The Garu District Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service in the Upper East Region, has donated medical equipment health care delivery to help improve Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organisation (ADDRO). The equipment, including three ultrasound scanners, three printers, and two delivery sets, is to help improve health service delivery and diagnosis, to increase precision and efficiency of cases and improve the health statistics of the vulnerable, particularly pregnant women and children below five years. The support by the faith development organisation is also to help reduce the cost and distances pregnant women cover to access diagnostic services. It formed part of ADDRO's Health Outreach Prevention and Education (HOPE) project being implemented in three sub-districts, including Songo, Kugre, and Denugu in the Garu District, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service, and funded by the Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC). The HOPE project aims at reducing maternal and chil d mortality and morbidity in underdeveloped communities through the Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) approach. Mr Emmanuel Tia Nabila, the Executive Director of ADDRO, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after presenting the equipment, indicated that the organisation's quest was to help vulnerable people live dignified lives by educating them on the best methods they could use to prevent diseases. He said that led it to identify certain gaps in the health service which is hindering it from giving the people the efficient health care services they needed, hence the donation of the equipment to help improve health care delivery and lessen the burden on the vulnerable in their attempt to access health care services. To achieve this, Mr Nabila stressed that each scanner would be given to each of the sub-districts where the HOPE project was ongoing. He therefore urged the health directorate to make effective use of the equipment, adding, 'How long the equipment will last and continue to work efficiently for the benefit of the people will depend on how well it is being used.' Mr Hypolite Yeleduor, the Garu District Health Director of the Ghana Health Service, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture by the organisation and its donors, emphasizing that the equipment would bring great relief to vulnerable pregnant women and children who struggle to get diagnostic services. 'The health service is so delighted for this donation, particularly because it would relieve the economic burden on our pregnant women. Currently, we have a private ultrasound scanner that is being used by health staff at the extreme of Sonago Health Center, and they charge not less than GH?20 per scan, so you can imagine how relieved the pregnant women would be when we start using this,' he stressed. He gave the assurance to use the equipment judiciously for the benefit of the people to whom it was donated. Source: Ghana News Agency