Mr Dickson Kyere-Duah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum West has appealed to the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo natives in the diaspora to support the construction of a Dialysis Center in the Bono Region.

He said the Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA), an association of natives of Bono and Ahafo residents in North America was putting up the center in Sunyani to help diagnose and tackle kidney related diseases.

Mr Kyere-Duah made the appeal when he addressed the 2025 Annual Convention of the Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) in Denver, Colorado in the United States.

A statement issued by the office of the MP and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani said: “We need your support towards the improvement of healthcare delivery back home”.

The convention was on the theme “The health of our people is our concern” and brought together hundreds of Ghanaians and friends of Ghana from across North America to deliberate on the welfare of their communities and mobilize resources for development.

According to the statement, the MP who was a co-guest speaker commended COBAANA “for its consistency in uniting citizens from the Bono and Ahafo regions and for spearheading initiatives that directly impacted development in Ghana”.

It lauded the “association’s commitment to building a Dialysis Centre in Sunyani”, saying “the project is timely and lifesaving.

The vision we are supporting this evening is not simply a project in bricks and mortar, it’s a lifeline intervention that will save lives, restore hope, and bring dignity to countless families who are struggling with the painful realities of kidney disease”, it stated.

It said: “The rising cases of kidney-related diseases in Ghana had made dialysis services a critical need, especially in our regions where access is limited”, adding that “This initiative by COBAANA will save countless lives, reduce the financial burden on patients, and bring quality healthcare closer to our people.”

The statement emphasized the importance of diaspora contributions to national development, noting that remittances and investments from abroad remained vital to Ghana’s economy.

It assured COBAANA and other diaspora groups that “their efforts are recognized at home” and pledged to “use my office to support collaborations between the diaspora and local institutions”.

“The highlight of the convention was a fundraising dinner-dance, where members and well-wishers pledged financial support towards the Sunyani Dialysis Centre project”, it explained.

It called for unity, urging citizens both, home and abroad to “see ourselves as partners in progress, working together to transform the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions into a hub of development and opportunity”.

The special Guest of Honour for the occasion was Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Dr Agyemang Badu II,

the Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional Area and President of Bono Regional House of Chiefs.

It explained that the “COBAANA Annual Convention continues to serve as a vital platform for harnessing diaspora resources and expertise for the socio-economic transformation of Ghana”.