Pupils and teachers in some primary schools in the Ghanaian capital had raised over 15,000 Ghana cedis (about 2,494 U.S. dollars) to help a school girl diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

The Ga East educational directorate presented the amount to Joyce Owusu, a 15-year old pupil who was diagnosed with the condition three years ago.

“After her diagnosis, her parents came to ask for assistance for her treatment.

“We, therefore, appealed to pupils and teachers in the municipality and managed to raise 15,094 cedis through that,” Seth Anyomi, the spokesman for the education directorate, told Xinhua after the presentation.

He said that the hospital demanded a total of 6,000 dollars for the treatment.

“So what we have mobilized is below half of the amount.

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“The hospital is awaiting the final payment to conduct the surgery to save the girl’s life so she can return to school,” he added.

The official, therefore, appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations to come to the aid of the schoolgirl so she could undergo the life-saving surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital and get back to her normal life.