Former patient supports Battor Cervical Cancer Training Centre

A former patient, who benefitted from efficient medical attention at the Battor Catholic Hospital, which helped save her life 20 years ago, has donated an amount of GH¢12,000 to support the capacity-building efforts of the hospital. 

The donor, Belinda Effah, a banker, said the donation was for the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre (CCPTC) at the hospital to select and train two nurses from anywhere in Ghana.

It is to support the centre’s initiative to train more health workers to provide cervical cancer screening and basic treatment in places that have no specialists or hard-to-reach communities.

Ms Effah said 20 years ago, she was operated on at the hospital by the German Nun and Gynaecologist, Sister Dr Edgitha Gorges, who worked at the hospital then.

She wrote: “20 years ago, I had surgery in Catholic Hospital, Battor. God has indeed been good and merciful to me. I give Him all the glory. To commemorate this, I would like to donate GH¢12,000 to the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre (CCPTC) to train two nurses from anywhere in Ghana that the CCPTC decides on.”

This is not the first time the benefactor has supported the hospital. Seven years ago, she bought one of the first two thermal coagulators used for the treatment of cervical precancer, for the CCPTC.

CCPTC, Battor

The CCPTC, Battor, was set up as an intervention by the specialists of the facility to have a multi-faceted approach to dealing with the rising cases of cervical cancer and the havoc it was causing.

Headed by Dr Kofi Effah, the centre is committed to intensive training of health workers in cervical cancer screening and treatment through two comprehensive modules.

Module 1 equips trainees with the knowledge and skills to set up a screening unit and screen for cervical precancer, while Module 2 equips trainees with the knowledge and skills to treat precancerous lesions of the cervix with thermal coagulation and cryotherapy.

Patronage

Since initiating  the training programme,the concept has been embraced by many with some organisations and philanthropists sponsoring health professionals to undergo the training at the centre.

Among the regular supporters are  the Member of Parliament for North tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Rotary Club and Zonta Club.

Recently, the  Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.1 in Ahafo Region, Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, sponsored two midwives from his jurisdiction to be trainined in the Module 1 of the programme.

So far, 420 health workers, made up of nurses and doctors, have been trained at the centre to serve their various facilities. Of the number, 414 are from Ghana and six are from other African countries.

The cost for training one person in either module is GH¢6,000.