President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday flagged off commencement of work on the phase one of a 600-bed teaching hospital for the Eastern Region in Koforidua, with sod-cutting at the site.
The President said the first phase would entail the construction of a 285-bed facility, part of the 600. “This will position the Eastern Region on the right side of the healthcare map of our country, with teaching and learning facilities,” he added.
The project is expected to be completed within 36 months.
As a regional hospital, the facility will deal with acute care and referral cases and provide primary healthcare facilities, including ensuring the development of mutual health insurance organizations within the region and its districts.
The seventy million Euros project is being funded by Standard Chartered Bank, US, with credit guarantee support from the United Kingdom Export Financing (UKEF) to the tune of €7,920,000.00.
“Ghana continues to be grateful to UKEF for their continued support in our infrastructure development programme for all sectors of our economy. I am happy to state that the entire funding amount of seventy million Euros (€70 million) has already been secured for Tyllium U.K. Ltd, the contractors for this project. They must, therefore, ensure that this project is completed within the 36-month period and on budget,” the President pointed out.
The 20,000m square hospital will contain administration, training, conference and teaching facilities; out-patient department; accident and emergency services; adjunct clinical services (pharmacy, imaging with MRI); pathological services; surgical services, including the provision of seven (7) theatres and endoscopy; obstetrics and gynaecology; in-patient wards; burns care unit; ICT installations and provision of Health Information Management System (HIMS); medical waste management system; and provision of mixed type accommodation units for hospital workers.
The President said Covid-19 had brought to the fore the unequal distribution of healthcare facilities in the country, with the nation focusing its infrastructure more on Accra and one or two other cities. Epidemics and pandemics, he said, could spread to any part of the country.
He announced that eight districts in the region would have hospitals, naming the places as Akyemansa, Asene/Manso/Akroso, Asuogyaman, Atiwa, Ayensuano, Birim South, Kwahu Afram Plains South, and Upper West Akyem each of which facility “will be a quality, standard design, 100-bed hospital, with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers.”
Six new regional hospitals, the President announced, would be constructed in the new regional capitals alongside the rehabilitation of the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, and the construction of a new regional hospital for the Western Region.
The President praised the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Prof Emeritus Daasebre Oti Boateng, for donating land for the project.
President Akufo-Addo assured all that “this project is a sign of greater things to come for Koforidua, the Eastern Region and, indeed, for the whole nation. Government’s commitment to the total development of Ghana is absolute.”
From Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua