Serene Insurance refurbishes Korle Bu surgical ward

Serene Insurance Limited has handed over a fully renovated and refurbished fifth floor of the surgical ward of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), equipped with 55 new hospital beds, a nurses’ station and television sets.

The renovation covered the male and female wards, which have been tiled and repainted. The reception area has also been furnished, while the pantry and doctors’ offices have been upgraded.

The Chief Executive Officer of Serene Insurance, Mrs Mercy Boampong, speaking at a ceremony to hand over the facility in Accra on Friday, said the project began in December 2025 after the company visited its then General Manager, now deceased, who was receiving treatment at the VIP ward on the sixth floor of the same block.

She said the handover did not mark the end of the company’s involvement, promising that it would continue to ensure that the facility remained in good condition.

“This is not intended to be a one-off intervention,” she said.

Mrs Boampong described the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives as a commitment to “visible, measurable and lasting impact”, rather than occasional acts of charity.

She said the renovated ward represented an investment in public health and human dignity, rather than an expense.

She further disclosed that the company had, on Friday, donated food items, toiletries, sanitary products, computers and office furniture worth GH¢100,000 to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse and Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam (in front) unveiling a plaque for the renovated surgical ward. Photo: Ebo Gorman

The donation formed part of a quarterly support programme that had been running for some time, she added.

The Chief Executive Officer of KBTH, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, who received the facility, thanked the Executive Chairman and Founder of First Sky Group, Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, and staff of both companies for the gesture.

Dr Adam recalled the longstanding relationship between the hospital and First Sky Group, which began in 2016 when the group donated more than GH¢2 million to the hospital’s Renal Dialysis Unit, together with a pick-up vehicle to support its operations.

He said the group subsequently supported the treatment of virtually all patients at the unit, contributing about GH¢1 million every quarter over an extended period.

The support, he said, brought hope and relief to many patients and their families.

Dr Adam said the group’s assistance also extended to the hospital’s operating theatre, where it funded specialist medical teams from abroad to work with local professionals on kidney transplantation.

He said First Sky Group had also funded the training of some doctors and other health workers at KBTH, who were expected to form the core team when transplant services were eventually established locally at Korle Bu and elsewhere in Ghana.

According to Dr Adam, the group recognised that training alone would not be sufficient to establish sustainable transplant services.

He said it had identified potential legal and regulatory barriers and committed to supporting efforts to enact a legislative framework to govern kidney transplantation in the country.

“This demonstrates a partnership that goes beyond philanthropy,” Dr Adam said, describing the collaboration as a strategic investment in building sustainable healthcare systems for generations to come.

BY NORMAN COOPER