The staff of Development Bank Ghana (DBG) with support from the management of the bank, have made a cash donation worth GHS 200,000 towards the treatment of breast cancer patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and the 37 Military Hospital.
The donation stems from an initiative of the staff of DBG to raise funds to support the treatment costs of breast cancer patients.
Available data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that in 2020 alone some 2.3 million women around the world were newly diagnosed with breast cancer with 685,000 deaths recorded the same year.
As of the end of 2020, there were some 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past five (5) years making it the world’s most prevalent cancer.
In Ghana, over 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually with almost half of the women diagnosed losing their lives.
Studies show that women in Ghana are diagnosed at more advanced stages of the disease – up to 70% of women have advanced-stage cancer by the time it is identified.
Managing Director of the Development Bank Ghana (DBG), Kwamina Duker, speaking proudly about the initiative of the staff of DBG averred, “We are passionate about breast cancer and as such are enthused about helping breast cancer patients, because we all know the difficulty the patients themselves, their families and loved ones go through.
“This initiative was mainly developed by the staff of DBG along with the funds raised, and this demonstrates the passion the staff have for breast cancer treatment.
“At DBG we believe in staying with our partners and so with that, we are committing to continue this initiative for the next five (5) years, so there is continuity and this doesn’t become a one-time thing.”
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at DBG, Barbara Wrickets, speaking to norvanreports after the donation, hinted at a possible annual increment in the donation amount.
The donation by the DBG staff is expected to be used for breast cancer treatment processes such as chemotherapy, radiology, among others.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) was the Head of the Department of Surgery, Professor J.E. Mensah who expressed the hospital’s gratitude for the kind gesture made by the staff of DBG.
“We bend backward and do our best to help solve the problems of our patients, most of them are poor and can’t afford treatment, and that’s why institutions like the DBG need to help them. The hospital is grateful for the donation, but more so extremely happy that the DBG has come on board and decided to support our breast cancer patients,” he noted.
Development Bank Ghana is a wholesale financial institution established by the Government of Ghana.
DBG acts as a provider of long-term capital to the market with a mission to foster strong partnerships to finance economic growth, create jobs, and build capacity for SMEs.
The organisation is committed, aligned, and strengthened to achieve UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs) ambitions and targets while implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies aimed at creating shared value and impact with purpose.