Author: Emelia Naa Ayeley Aryee || Freelance Journalist
Ms. Aryee presenting a box of Ferromex to officials of Tema Manhean Polyclinic
Xoese Ghana, a non-governmental organization helping women with fertility issues, has donated some medications to pregnant women at the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
The medications were Ferromex tablets and Lintus Cough Syrup, all produced by Dannex Ayrton Starwin (DAS), Accra.
A total of 50 containers filled with 1,000 Ferromex tablets each, and a box containing 50 bottles of Linctus Cough Syrup were given out to the facility.
The medications had been donated to Xoese Ghana by DAS toward the NGO’s Fertility Conference held in Accra in June 2024.
Speaking at the donation, the Director of Xoese Ghana, Ms Emelia Naa Ayeley Aryee, revealed that her outfit decided to embark on that charity gesture to support pregnant women by boosting their blood level for safe pregnancy and delivery.
From L-R: Ms. Emelia Naa Ayeley Aryee, Director of Xoese Ghana; Mrs. Evelyn Numbeh, Antenatal-in-charge; and Mrs. Priscilla Kwakye, PCOS Ambassador, Xoese Ghana.
According to Ms. Aryee, research by World Vision indicates that about 50% of pregnant are hungry, malnourished, and anemic. Thus, there was the need to provide the medications.
“World Vision has a new project themed ENOUGH. This project not only sheds light on the struggle of children with regard to nutritious food, but also the plight of pregnant women.
The research shows that about 50% of them lack nutritious food and so they are anemic,” she said.
“This means that as the pregnant thinks of what to eat, she again needs to think about how to boost her blood during the entire pregnancy period till delivery and even after. There is the need for us all to support,” she added.
She disclosed that arrangement have also been made for some pregnant women in Dzodze, Volta Region, and Mamprobi in Accra, to also benefit from the Ferromex Tablets.
On why Tema Manhean, Ms. Aryee said: “I grew up here in Tema Manhean, and while I believe that pregnant women everywhere need help, there is a saying that charity begins at home. So, Xoese Ghana started with Tema Manhean for the donation.”
She expressed deep gratitude to DAS for the kind gesture, and appealed for more support to reach other pregnant women in Ghana. Ms. Aryee further called on other corporate bodies to emulate DAS’s gesture.
Receiving the medications, the officer in charge of antenatal at the polyclinic, Mrs. Evelyn Numbeh, was thankful to Xoese Ghana for the donation.
According to her, records at the facility shows that eight out of ten pregnant women who report have anemia, with some very severe.
“Our pregnant women are highly anemic. I will say about 85% of them are anemic and they find it difficult to get money to buy the necessary medication. When you even prescribe the normal drugs for them to buy, it’s a problem.
Most of the time when you transfuse, it’s a problem and so we end up by referring most of them to other hospitals,” she said.
“But, with this Ferromex, it is free. So, it will go a long way to help them at least for the few months that we will distribute it, it will help them to improve the anemic situation here,” Mrs. Numbeh said.
She noted that the polyclinic’s pharmacy had examined the medications and concluded that it contains more iron than the common medication used by pregnant women for that purpose.
Therefore, it was a big relief to the facility that the donation will help to keep issues of anemia in pregnant women under control.
Mrs. Numbeh hopes that more of such donations will be made in the near future to help the pregnant women.
