The wife of Ghana’s vice president, Her Excellency Samira Bawumia, has commended GTS Drilling Ghana, the Rotary Club, and Wheelchair for Kids (WFK) in Australia for the tremendous support given to kids with disabilities.
Speaking during a presentation of medical equipment and consumables at the Orthopedic Training Centre (OTC) at Adoagyiri-Nsawam in the Eastern Region, the Second Lady emphasised the need to identify new approaches to supporting people with disabilities.
According to her, a sizeable proportion of the global population suffers from various forms of disability, and she stressed the need to work together to achieve an equitable society.
“About 16 per cent of the world’s population experiences disability, and there is a need to identify new approaches to support disabled persons,” said Dr. Bawumia.
“I will like to praise GTS Drilling, Wheelchair for Kids, the Australian High Commission in Ghana, and Rotary International for working tirelessly to make this presentation possible,” she added.
The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Berenice Owen-Jones, emphasised the need to support people with disability to develop to their full potential.
“We recognise that given favourable systems, support, and improved services, people with disabilities can make enormous contributions to development. This is why we are so pleased to be able to support this initiative, which aims to improve service delivery and the lives of people with disabilities,” said Owen-Jones.
“I want to thank Dave Harper and his team at GTS Drilling for their immense effort in making this presentation possible and for their commitment to helping the vulnerable,” added the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana.
Human Resources Manager for GTS Drilling, Iddi Baah-Kurey, observed that the company, since its inception in Ghana, has been extending various forms of support to the community.
He expressed his company’s privilege of facilitating the transportation of the wheelchairs and orthopedic medical equipment from Australia to support Ghanaian children.
“We have always been committed to giving back to our community. We recognise that many children with disabilities face significant challenges in accessing suitable equipment, which is why we decided to play our part and make a difference in their lives,” said Baah-Kurey.
At GTS Drilling, we are committed to continuing our partnership with the Orthopedic Training Center and other organisations that provide support and resources to children with disabilities in Ghana,” he added.
Director at the OTC, Elizabeth Newman, thanked the Australian High Commissioner and the other partners for their support.
She said, “This equipment will support the services we are able to provide to children and adults who come to our center for recovery and rehabilitation with our physiotherapy and other services. With about 6,000 Ghanaians attending the OTC each year, in person and at a mobile clinic trek that traverses the rural areas once a year, the demand for the OTC continues to increase.”
