A Brief History of Rose Ananse Memorial Hospice Care
Rose Ananse Memorial Hospice Care was established in memory of Madam Rose Ananse, a retired Community Development worker in Kumasi. Affectionately known as “Auntie Rose,” she passed away from pancreatic cancer after a brief illness. During her illness, she relied on the support of family and friends, particularly her two daughters, who alternated weekly caregiving duties—an arrangement that placed strain on the family and disrupted their lives.
The family struggled with a lack of professional knowledge needed to care for a terminally ill loved one. This experience revealed the need for professional home care services for families dealing with chronic, degenerative, and terminal illnesses.
Motivated by this need, her son, Charles Amoah—a UK-based hospital chaplain—founded Rose Ananse Memorial Hospice Care (RAMHOC). With support from friends, the organization was established to train and deploy healthcare professionals to assist families in the Kumasi area.
The hospice was registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with three key objectives:
- Provide home care services to patients with progressive and terminal illnesses.
- Offer palliative care training and support to health care practitioners in Kumasi
- Establish Day Centres in Kumasi to offer respite care for patients and family caregivers.
- Offer symptom relief, pain management, and training for volunteers and caregivers.
The NGO aims to reduce suffering and ease the burden on families caring for terminally ill loved ones at home.
Achievements
- Officially registered with the Registrar General under Act 179 (Ghana Companies Code, 1963), and issued certificates to commence business.
- An Executive Council was formed to oversee operations.
- Home care support has been provided to a significant number of patients and families.
- Bereavement support services have been initiated.
- Training and support to healthy professionals
Partnerships
- Ghana Baptist Health Services – Nurses from the Abuakwa Medical Center have volunteered with RAMHOC at no cost.
- Christian Service University – Collaboration on palliative care education.
- African Health Foundation, UK – A UK-based charity formed to raise awareness and funds in support of RAMHOC’s services.
- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi – Partnership includes staff training, support, and patient referrals.
Future Plans
- Expand services to all districts in the Ashanti Region following the Kumasi pilot project.
- Establish a national training center for palliative care in Ghana.
- Collaborate with international hospice care organizations.
Statistics from Ghana in 2022
Providing emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual support