Ghana’s fastest growing radio station, Starr 103.5FM, has donated Gh¢69, 254 to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Centre.
The amount was raised through the station’s Heartbeat Project launched in February, encouraging listeners and well-wishers to contribute to help patients with chronic heart diseases pay for heart surgeries.
Listeners contributed via mobile money while others called into the station’s programmes to pledge to a campaign which was originally meant to raise Gh¢50, 000 to support the Cardiothoracic Centre to save lives of persons with heart related diseases.
After a successful month-long fund raising and awareness creation, the host of the Morning Starr Francis Abban led a team of on-air presenters and backroom staff to present the cheque to officials of the Centre.
The director of the Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr. Lawrence Siriboe, who received the donation on behalf of the outfit, expressed gratitude to Starr 103.5FM for taking the initiative.
“I wish to express the gratitude of the Centre and the numerous patients we have to Starr FM. You promised and you’ve more than delivered,” Dr. Siriboe stated.
He added: “We thank all those who donated and God replenish it. No amount is too small. I wish that people will continue to be benevolent and this shouldn’t be the end because on a daily basis we keep getting more patients.”
About 80% of the heart cases reported at the Centre are from children. An individual spends about a $1000 when he/she stays in the ICU a day. The complex cases costs $15, 000.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM