Vice President Bawumia touring the Cathlab
The nation’s premier health facility, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) finally has a Catheterization Laboratory (Cathlab), courtesy the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
A Catherization Lab is an examination room in a hospital or clinic with a diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualise the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart and treat any stenosis or abnormality found.
At a programme to open it yesterday, the Vice President described the facility as the most advanced Catheterization Laboratory in the country with a big detector, dyna CT and road map software as well as a 3D workstation.
Currently, he said “Ghana is the only country in the sub-region, West Africa offering advanced minimally invasive endovascular treatments for conditions such as brain aneurysms (doing brain surgery without cutting the skull).
It comes four years after the first case of brain aneurysm coiling was done in Ghana, as reported by the BBC and the Daily Graphic.
Dr. Bawumia said the acquisition of this Cathlab will further help to do more of such advanced treatments in Ghana, saying “it is our vision that patients will not need to take expensive trips abroad to receive treatment.”
That, he said, was because “a Catheterization Lab is a valuable asset for any country, and a good addition to the overall healthcare infrastructure of Ghana,” and that “by investing in such advanced medical facilities, Ghana can attract and retain skilled medical professionals, improve the training of local doctors and allied health personnel, and enhance the quality of care provided to patients.”
The Vice President could not help thanking his personal doctor, Dr. Adade and Dr. Sarkodie who drew his attention about the need for setting up of a Cathlab, which was facilitated by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) as its corporate social responsibility after Dr. Bawumia reached out to them to help.
“We are therefore grateful to the Bank of Ghana for making this project happen and call upon other corporate citizens to partner with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, our premier health institution, to bring similar medical advancements to fruition,” he said in praise of the Central Bank and its Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Korle Bu, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah was full of praise for government and the Bank of Ghana for facilitating the setting up of such a critical facility for the hospital.
He was optimistic this will go a long way to save many lives which otherwise could have been lost due to the lack of the facility.
Apart from that, he said it will also attract patients from neighbouring West African countries.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent