The management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has taken steps to complete the newly-refurbished accident and emergency centre with the commencement of the centre’s roofing.
The project which comes at a cost of GH¢178,000 is being undertaken by Domod Aluminum and when completed within the scheduled 10 days period will ease the congestion and difficulties that confront patients at the old surgical medical emergency unit.
Speaking at a short ceremony to officially begin the project, Dr Felix Anyah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KBTH, pointed out that power fluctuations and repair of the roof are major challenges that need to be addressed in order to commence operations at the centre.
“As we speak now, from August 2014 it is supposed to be used as an emergency care institution but it has not been used for that so people who need emergency care are referred to other facilities,” he said.
Dr Anyah, however, raised concerns over the lack of policy to manage the hospital’s projects in the Ministry of Health.
He said, “We think that it is about time that the Ministry of Health had a policy framework at least a tripartite policy framework which involves the ministry, the recipient hospital or health facility and then the project managers.”
“This should be documented and so it will make recipient facilities such as Korle-Bu parties to the standards of infrastructure, equipment and what is being put in place,” he added.
Dr Anyah cited that the hospital has not been able to use the facility because the then management was not part of the project agreement, which has affected the work done at the centre.
“I understand that Korle-Bu was not party to the agreement so what was left were so faulty. Almost three years and over and the place has not been used. It is a waste of resources because the service that was supposed to save lives, especially the emergency has not been taken care of,” he stated.
He was, therefore, hopeful that the roofing will help bring back life into the facility when completed for doctors to be able to access it by the end of April 2018.
Fred Papa Kwofie, Managing Director of Domod Aluminum, was grateful to the management of KBTH for the opportunity and promised that within the next ten days the project will be completed under flexible terms of payment.
“We know the unit plays a critical role to the operations of the hospital and we as a company we will ensure that it will be done with the roof so quickly they can make use of it,” he indicated.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri