Tears of relief flowed freely at the Kumasi Suntreso Government Hospital when the Kumasi Royal Queens, a Ghana-based philanthropic group, stepped in with a GH¢20,000 cash intervention to free new mothers trapped by unpaid medical bills after childbirth.
The dramatic intervention unfolded on Friday, January 23, 2026, when members of the group visited the hospital and discovered that several women who had safely delivered their babies were still unable to leave the facility due to accumulated medical bills they could not afford to pay.
What began as a goodwill visit quickly turned into an eye-opening tour of the hospital’s Mothers and Baby Unit (MBU) and labour ward, where health officials exposed a series of troubling challenges affecting maternal and newborn care.
Senior Paediatrician, Dr Ashura Bakari, revealed that the facility is grappling with severe shortages of life-saving equipment. These include CPAP machines for newborns struggling to breathe, radiant warmers to prevent hypothermia, and monitors needed to track the vital signs of fragile babies.
She also disclosed the absence of Firefly phototherapy machines, leaving clinicians with limited options in managing neonatal jaundice. Adding to the concern, the canopy at the MBU was described as being in a poor state, while at the labour ward, mothers are forced to deliver without proper curtains—raising serious questions about privacy, dignity, and safety during childbirth.
Speaking to journalists after the donation, President of the Kumasi Royal Queens, Madam Lourensia Aboagye, said the heartbreaking situation compelled the group to act immediately. She described the gesture as a mission to rescue vulnerable women and restore hope at one of Kumasi’s busiest public hospitals.
Formed by Ghanaian women both at home and in the diaspora, Madam Aboagye explained that the Kumasi Royal Queens are driven by compassion and a commitment to stand in the gap where financial hardship threatens lives. She made a passionate appeal to corporate bodies and well-to-do individuals to support the group’s humanitarian efforts, promising that future visits would go beyond settling bills to addressing some of the hospital’s critical infrastructure and equipment needs.
A paediatric nurse at the MBU, Animwaa Bediako, hailed the intervention as a major morale booster for both staff and patients, noting that such support renews hope within the facility.
One of the beneficiaries, 21-year-old Alberta Asamoah, could not hide her joy after her medical bills were cleared. Fighting back tears, she offered prayers for continued blessings upon the group that, in her words, “came when all hope seemed lost.”
Following the donation, members of the Kumasi Royal Queens held a small celebration to mark the success of the intervention and honour hardworking members for their dedication and service.
