Peter Ahiekpor speaking at the launch of the project in Accra
The first-ever ECOWAS medical (ECOMEDICAL) village aimed at providing the best healthcare facility for Ghana and the ECOWAS region has been launched in Accra.
The $476m project to be established on a 40-acre land located between GIMPA and Achimota Senior High School will consist of a referral centre for various diseases, research facilities, sports medicine centre, disaster management centre, women and children hospital and elderly care centre.
Peter Ahiekpor, Founder & CEO, Ecomedical Village Limited, revealed that the idea was conceived four years ago when he had to leave the country for his routine medical check-up abroad.
He said after the trip, he thought of Africa and in particular West Africa having similar state-of-the-art health facilities that would reverse the trend of Africans having to travel outside for healthcare due to lack of modern facilities and highly-qualified healthcare specialists.
After overcoming several challenges, including finding investors, Mr Ahiekpor said the project is currently receiving financial investment offers which when approved will see the health facility completed within the scheduled period of 26 months.
He, therefore, called for support, especially on the part of government, as according to him, building a hospital is a collective business of all stakeholders.
“So please champion and support this worthy cause of a regional hospital to be built in Ghana and with subsidiaries in all the ECOWAS countries,” he said.
In his remarks as the special guest, Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo assured Ecomedical Village Limited of government’s support in the project they are about to undertake.
He said such projects are in line with the government’s manifesto which places priority on private sector leading the development of the country while government provides the needed and enabling environment.
Mr Osafo Marfo, however, urged the management of the project to ensure the facility has the best medical personnel in order to attain the standard for which it was set up.
Pedro Rebelo, chief engineer of the project, added that the project will also have apartments for doctors, villas, town houses, club house, a helipad, medical commercial centre, four star and two star hotels and 380-bed general hospital.
He said the design includes what he called intelligence building systems that will cut operational cost to the barest minimum.
“Our design of Ecomedical village will be able to compete with international-acclaimed hospital around the world,” he added.
The project envisions the setting up of specialty centres of excellence in each ECOWAS member country to treat and manage specific illness that may include similar centres in Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri