MTN Ghana has refurbished and returned close to 4,000 pieces of hospital equipment to healthcare facilities across the country under its annual employee volunteerism programme, Yellow Care, in a move aimed at improving patient care, addressing the country’s no-bed syndrome and promoting sustainability.
The initiative, which culminated in a symbolic handover ceremony at Achimota Hospital in Accra, formed part of MTN’s 2026 Yellow Care campaign, an annual staff volunteer programme that sees employees dedicate their time and expertise to community development projects every June.
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This year’s campaign executed in partnership with Sika pƐ Adjuma, was held under the theme “Expanding Equitable Healthcare for Every Community,” with MTN employees focusing on repairing broken hospital equipment instead of replacing it, thereby extending the lifespan of critical healthcare assets while reducing waste.
Over a 21-day period, MTN staff worked alongside biomedical engineers, technicians, artisans and hospital personnel to refurbish damaged hospital beds, bedside lockers, drip stands, patient chairs and other essential furniture that had either been abandoned or earmarked for disposal.
Speaking to journalists after the handover ceremony, MTN Ghana’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Adwoa Wiafe, said the Y’ello Care programme demonstrates the company’s commitment to giving back to communities through employee-led volunteerism.
She explained that unlike corporate donations funded solely by the company, Y’ello Care allows MTN employees themselves to contribute directly to addressing social challenges.
Today marks the closing of our Yellow Care programme, which we started at the beginning of the month. Every year in June, MTN staff volunteer to do something in the community to get ourselves closer to the communities we serve, contribute to society and demonstrate how much we value the people who continue to support us,” she said.
According to Wiafe, healthcare was selected as this year’s focus because of the growing public concern over the country’s no-bed syndrome and the increasing pressure on health facilities.
What we planned to do was to bring equitable healthcare to every community. This year we’re focusing on the no-bed syndrome. We asked ourselves how we could support hospitals and our healthcare delivery system with beds and equipment that can improve emergency healthcare because this issue affects all of us,” she stated.
Rather than purchasing brand new equipment, MTN adopted a refurbishment approach by identifying damaged hospital assets that could still be restored to working condition.
Staff visited beneficiary hospitals across the country, collected broken equipment and repaired them before returning them to the facilities.
We went to hospitals, took out beds that were broken and other accessories that were damaged to demonstrate that these things can actually be repaired instead of being thrown away,” she explained.
She noted that the approach not only supports healthcare delivery but also advances MTN’s sustainability agenda by reducing waste and extending the useful life of public assets.
It was also part of our sustainability agenda where we want to make sure we delay the time within which these things end up at the dump. If there’s a way to repair broken equipment, we should do so. That helps conserve money, preserves resources and protects our environment.”
According to Wiafe, the exercise resulted in the refurbishment of approximately 3,888 hospital accessories and equipment, including hospital beds, side tables, drip stands, bedside furniture, patient chairs and other essential items that hospitals rely on daily.
She disclosed that many of the refurbished items were returned to hospital wards immediately after repairs to enable health workers to put them back into service without delay.
So today we are here donating the beds and the equipment that we have repaired over the 21-day period. We have about 3,888 accessories. We have beds, side tables, drip stands and furniture that would otherwise have been discarded but have now been restored and returned to the hospitals.”
At Achimota Hospital, some of the repaired patient chairs were already being used by patients waiting to receive medical attention even before the symbolic presentation ceremony.
As we were repairing them, many of these items were going straight back into the wards because they were urgently needed for patient care,” she added.
Wiafe described the initiative as proof of what collective action can achieve and challenged other corporate institutions to undertake similar interventions.
This symbolic ceremony is to show everyone what MTN staff have been able to accomplish in just 21 days. It is testament to what we can achieve when people come together with a shared purpose.”
She stressed that improving healthcare delivery should not be left to government alone.
We are calling on other organisations and institutions to support this drive because we all need a stronger healthcare system. You never know when you or a loved one will require these services.”
She expressed appreciation to the hospitals, healthcare professionals, artisans, technicians and volunteers whose collaboration made the programme successful.
We thank every one of our partners—the hospitals, healthcare providers, artisans and everyone who walked this journey with us. On behalf of MTN Foundation, management and staff, we are grateful for your support.”
Wiafe added that the initiative also forms part of activities marking MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary, describing the milestone as an opportunity to deepen the company’s contribution to national development.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of Achimota Hospital, the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Jacqueline Anita Sowa, described the gesture as timely and highly beneficial to the hospital.
She said the refurbished equipment arrives at a period when demand for quality healthcare services continues to rise, placing enormous pressure on existing hospital infrastructure.
Today’s event is not merely about handing over hospital equipment. It is a celebration of partnership, corporate social responsibility and our shared commitment to improving healthcare for the people we serve,” she said.
Dr. Sowa expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana for selecting Achimota Hospital to host the closing ceremony while also extending the intervention to other beneficiary health facilities across the country.
She noted that the refurbished beds, metallic patient chairs, drip stands and other essential hospital equipment would significantly improve patient care and enhance the hospital’s ability to respond to emergencies.
These interventions have come at such a critical time. They will significantly improve patient comfort, strengthen our capacity, reduce pressure on our limited resources and contribute meaningfully to addressing the challenges associated with the no-bed syndrome.”
According to her, the hospital continues to witness increasing patient numbers, making additional support from both the public and private sectors essential.
She disclosed that Achimota Hospital has embarked on several expansion and improvement projects to enhance healthcare delivery.
Among the projects are the establishment of a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), expansion of theatre space, improvement of VIP ward capacity, procurement of additional anaesthesia machines and patient monitors, and rehabilitation of the deteriorating access road leading to the facility.
While acknowledging support from the Ga North Municipal Assembly in repainting sections of the hospital and constructing a modern welfare clinic as well as an insurance office, Dr. Sowa appealed for further assistance from government, development partners and corporate Ghana.
We respectfully appeal to government agencies, development partners, corporate institutions such as MTN, philanthropists and all stakeholders to join us in addressing these pressing needs. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us move closer to delivering accessible, responsive and quality healthcare for all.”
She also announced that Achimota Hospital will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, marking a century of healthcare service to Ghanaians.
The hospital, she said, has lined up a series of activities to commemorate the milestone and hopes long-standing partners such as MTN will continue supporting its development agenda.
As we prepare to celebrate our centenary next year, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with MTN Foundation and other stakeholders to make the celebration meaningful while investing in the future growth of the hospital.”
She concluded by thanking MTN for investing in the health and well-being of thousands of Ghanaians who depend on the hospital every year.
Your investment in Achimota Hospital and the other beneficiary hospitals is ultimately an investment in the health and well-being of the thousands of people who rely on our services annually. We deeply appreciate your partnership and your unwavering commitment to improving healthcare delivery in Ghana.”
