By Edwin Gogu
In a follow-up to an earlier donation earlier this year on 12th March 2025, the Catholic Diocese of Damongo has once again presented a significant consignment of medical equipment to St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital in Damongo, on May 16, 2025. The equipment, valued at over GHS 500,000, forms the second tranche of support from the Circle Association for International Development, an NGO based in Bolzano, Northern Italy.
The brief but significant presentation ceremony was held on the hospital premises, with key staff and representatives of the Diocese present to witness the official handing over.
Dr. Nelson Agboadoh, Medical Director of St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital expressed profound gratitude to the Diocese and its partners for their unwavering support toward enhancing healthcare delivery at the facility. He recalled the earlier donation, the first tranche worth nearly GHS 500,000, which was received and publicly acknowledged in a ceremony reported earlier this year, noting how the equipment had already made a noticeable difference in the hospital’s operations.
“We are excited to receive this second batch of equipment,” Dr. Agboadoh said. “It’s not only a reinforcement of our capacity but a reflection of the Church’s commitment to health care delivery. This is a true example of a partnership that works.”
Speaking on behalf of the Bishop of Damongo, Very Rev. Fr. Sylvester Kuubetersuur, Development Coordinator for the Diocese, outlined the background of the support. He explained that the total project proposal submitted to the Italian NGO amounted to GHS 1,039,415, with the funds being disbursed in phases.
“What we are witnessing today is a continuation of what we began some months ago. This second tranche brings the total value of equipment received so far to over 1 million Ghana cedis,” Fr. Kuubetersuur stated.
Fr. Kuubetersuur urged hospital staff and management to make judicious use of the equipment to serve the needs of the people, especially the vulnerable. He also touched on the Church’s broader commitment to supporting all its health facilities across the Diocese, particularly in remote areas like Kalba, Kusawgu, and Kulmasa.
“It is not only St. Anne’s we’re concerned with. As a Diocese, we are doing our best to complement government efforts, especially in underserved communities. Sometimes, people say the Church is a private institution and shouldn’t be seeking government support, but we see it as a shared responsibility,” he said.
“Some people ask why the church should seek support from the government if it’s a private institution,” he noted. “But the church plays a complementary role. We go where governments often can not reach places like Kalba, Kusawgu, and Kulmasa. These are God’s children, too, and we do what we can to serve them.”
He highlighted the spirit of collaboration among Catholic health facilities, pointing to recent resource sharing initiatives such as St. Anne’s donated a generator to the Martyrs of Uganda Health Centre, Bole a gesture that greatly improved service delivery there.
On behalf of the Bishop, Fr. Kuubetersuur then performed a symbolic handing over of the equipment to Dr. Agboadoh, thanking all stakeholders and encouraging continued cooperation.
“This is a small but important gesture in our collective mission to serve God’s people. Let us continue to work together to improve health outcomes across the Diocese,” he said.
The ceremony marks another milestone in the Diocese’s healthcare development efforts and reaffirms its commitment to delivering quality healthcare to even the most remote communities in the Savannah Region.
