Mr Kwame Gakpey, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta, has led a delegation from the Keta Municipal Hospital, to the Indian High Commission to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the High Commission, hospital, and the Municipality.
The delegation paid a courtesy call on Mr Surinder Bhagat, the Indian High Commissioner, as part of the efforts to renew a historical partnership between India and the hospital, particularly around the Narasimha Rao Eye Clinic.
Mr Gakpey disclosed to the Ghana News Agency, that he earlier informed the High Commissioner of the hospital’s upcoming Centenary Anniversary, scheduled for October, and indicated that a formal invitation would be extended to the High Commission once the date was confirmed.
“There was an establishment of the Narasimha Rao Eye Clinic with Indian support in the 1990s, which include specialist eye services and training opportunities for hospital staff in India, such support had ceased for nearly 20 years,” he said.
He therefore appealed for assistance to modernise and re-equip the clinic as part of activities marking the hospital’s centenary, with a detailed project proposal formally submitted to the High Commissioner by the Medical Superintendent.
Mr Gakpey further requested broader Indian technical assistance for the Keta Municipality in sectors including information and communication Technology (ICT) education, agriculture, tourism, among other life changing initiatives.
He thanked the High Commissioner for the warmed received of the delegation, while expressing keen interest in reviving the decades-old collaboration between India and the Keta Municipal Hospital.
“Let me use your platform to thank the High Commissioner for the reception he gave us, I hope their is a need for a sustainable partnership going forward, and we need to look at the various key areas for renewed collaboration for better improvement and development.”
Mr Gakpey explained that the High Commissioner had acknowledged archival records that showed more than 30 years of collaboration with the Keta Municipal Hospital and expressed gratitude and willingness to revive the partnership.
He stressed that the commitment from the High Commissioner to review the eye clinic proposal and engage Indian healthcare institutions, corporations, and pharmaceutical companies, including Apollo Hospitals, to explore support for the renovation and re-equipping of the facility, was a commendable initiative.
Mr Gakpey emphasised that the High Commissioner also expressed readiness to facilitate scholarship opportunities for constituents, explore staff fellowship and exchange programmes between the Keta Municipal Hospital and sister institutions in India, and identify additional areas of cooperation, which would include follow up on the proposed initiatives and arrange an official visit to the Keta Municipality after presenting his credentials to the President of Ghana.
The delegation from the Keta Municipal Hospital led by Dr Emmanuel Anim expressed appreciation and satisfaction about the visit and thanked Mr Bhagat for the kind gesture and reception that would transform the relationship between the two parties.
Other staff of the host hospital who were present included Mr Lawson Attor, Mr Bawa Alhasan, Ms Mary Deenu, Mr Prince Nkpentey, Dr Linda Ametame, Dr Kenneth Adzah, and Mr Cephas Tornyi.