Former President John Dramani Mahama with his wife, Lordina Mahama and children, yesterday celebrated his 63rd birthday with patients and staff of the Diabetes Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
He noted in his address that the Centre was doing very well in its educational efforts yet diabetes was on the rise and needed to be given attention and support.
“Patients needs to check their sugar level to know even at home and not to wait only until they come to the hospital before that is done,” he noted.
Former President Mahama said it was for this reason that he had decided to donate the glucometers to patients to enable them monitor their blood sugar level even at home.
His Excellency John Mahama stressed the need for people to lead healthy lifestyles by exercising and eating healthy diets to avoid lifestyle diseases.
The Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, praised the former President for choosing to celebrate his birthday with the Centre and more especially donating glucometers to patients.
He urged other high profile personalities to emulate the example of the former President.
Dr. Ampomah said this could cause a cultural paradigm shift where people would move away from organizing lavished birthday parties to using the occasion of birthdays to support worthy causes in society.
The head of the National Diabetes Management and Research Centre, Dr Yacoba Atiase, expressed appreciation to the former President for the donation.
Former President John Mahama donated 150 pieces of glucometres and packed lunches which was distributed to patients at the Diabetes Centre.