Lepers’ Aid Committee raises funds for lepers in the North

Category: General Created on Sunday, 02 September 2012 12:15 Published Date Written by GNA Hits: 244

Accra, Sept.2, GNA – The Lepers’ Aid Committee on Saturday organised a 10 kilometer walk dubbed  “Walk for Lepers” to raise funds to alleviate the living conditions of lepers in the Northern sector of the country.

    Mr Martin Tandoh, coordinator of the Lepers’ Aid Committee, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said the funds would be used to renovate the Oti river Leprosarium hospital in the Kpandai District.

    He said the hospital provides services to both cured and uncured lepers in the area, hence the assistance to the facility.

    Mr Tandoh said government has provided funds from the common fund for the infrastructural development of the Weija leprosarium and that a multi-skill training centre had also been built for the Ho leprosarium.     

    He called there was the need to educate the people of the northern sector on the causes and prevention of the disease, since most people were ignorant of it.

    “In Ghana we like to cure rather than prevent,” he noted.

     Mr Tandoh said government was in the process of registering all lepers across the country on the National Health Insurance Scheme.

    He appealed to government to release the livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty grant on time to support the inmates.

    Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Chairman of the Committee, called on Ghanaians to help those who are less privileged in society, since there was blessing in giving then receiving.