"The Department of Medicine of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital does need an extra big support from the clients it serves.

If we may say so ourselves, the Department of Medicine, is a very important one of the hospital. Ghana is in the throes of the epidemic of hypertension; and hypertension is a risk factor for strokes, heart failure, heart attacks and chronic renal failure. They all come to the Department of Medicine.

Ghana is also in the throes of the epidemic of diabetes mellitus - sugar disease, that may be complicated by going into states of unconsciousness; hypertension, heart attack, severe visual disturbances and gangrene of the feet, which may need amputation.

Diabetic patients come to us too.

Hypertension and diabetes have been referred to as Diseases of Lifestyle. And such diseases tend to increase in numbers with improvement in socioeconomic status. Another such disease of lifestyle is high blood cholesterol (type of blood fats) that is generally acquired by eating certain types of fats.

High blood cholesterol leads to heart attacks, strokes and gangrene of the legs. And yet another disease of lifestyle is obesity - generally due to overeating with very little exercise, if any, to burn out the fat following overeating.

And obesity predisposes to high blood pressure, diabetes, sugar disease and high blood cholesterol. It is a vicious circle, all round.

We accept that PREVENTION strategies are needed first and foremost to meet these challenges. The Diabetic Association of Ghana and the Cardiac and Hypertension Society of Ghana are trying, against odds, to implement these strategies. But meanwhile those who have the disease need to be taken care of.

Your Department of Medicine exists to do just that. In addition to managing these conditions, we also have the facility of the kidney machine (Renal Dialysis) currently with emphasis on the treatment of acute kidney failure. The Department also is responsible for the management of the increasing numbers of bronchial asthma.

There are certain cancers such as, liver cancer and blood cancers that come to us for management. The Department deals with a variety of skin diseases as well. We have not forgotten arthritis that may affect the neck or low back or knees.

We look after chronic liver diseases too.

It is not only these chronic non-communicable conditions that we deal with. We manage acute causes of jaundice of infective origin, tuberculosis, dysenteries and typhoid fever and the ubiquitous malaria.

The Department is in charge of the "newer" epidemic of HIV/AIDS patients.

Finally, we would like to say that many a time we do the investigations that end with our sending the patients for general type of surgery or specialised ones, like neuro-surgery and Heart Surgery.

Please help us to help you; we are all in this together. We wish to make it clear that we do receive our part of subvention given to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, for capital and current expenditure. But it is inadequate.

And by the nature of things we are unable to generate enough of our own funds. In any case if we were to go into the business of generating funds, to be self-sufficient, we would price ourselves out and we would serve fewer of those who need our help.

This APPEAL is two-pronged. We need help for the main MEDICAL BLOCK, which is under refurbishment. The Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital will be happy to indicate the kind of help we need for that.

Then there is the matter of the supplies and services for our temporary accommodation at the old Maternity Block.

You may wish to get in touch with the Department office on Korle-Bu Telephone line extension 6571 or the Matron of the Department, extension 5528 for us to indicate our needs in detail.

Once again please help us to help you: we are all in this together. Your concern is our concern; remember the popular song WOASEM YE MAASEM And we are sincere about it.

It is our hope and prayer that, the Cry from the Heart will touch you for the right response to save and improve the mother of all Medical and Surgical Disciplines, namely, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE and THERAPEUTICS of the KORLE-BU TEACHING HOSPITAL ACCRA"

Prof. J O Pobee
Signed on behalf of

Prof. S K Owusu,
Prof. J H Addy,
Prof. J. Kpodonu,
Prof. A. K Foli,
Prof. A R Neequaye,
Prof. Hector Addo,
Prof. I F A Hesse,
Prof. K. Affram,
Prof. A G B Amoah,
Prof. M O Matekole,
Prof. Adjepon Yamuah,
Dr K Nkrumah,
Dr M. Lartey,
Dr A Akpalu,
Dr H. Kwarko,
Dr A Korsah Forson,
Dr E. Amable and Dr F. Kwamin.