Korle Bu Hospital needs more investment – Minister
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) would require massive investment and reconstruction to serve its clients for the next 50 to 100 years, Minister of Health Sherry Ayittey, has said.
She said to bring the Hospital in line with modern standards, government has started retooling and equipping its facilities with new equipment to enhance operations.
Speaking at a durbar to climax the hospital’s 90th anniversary in Accra, Ms Ayittey said in order to meet the future needs of clients, there was also the need to scale up human resources of the Hospital and urged staff to go into sub-specialty training.
The anniversary was on the theme: “90 years of excellence, our Challenges, Aspirations and the Way forward.”
The Minister said such investment in infrastructure and human resources of the hospital would enable Korle Bu to leverage the great potential it has as a centre for health tourism in the sub-region.
In order to decongest Korle Bu, the Minister said all polyclinics would be upgraded to help Korle Bu to focus on referral cases.
She appealed to the board and management of the Hospital to improve efficiency and accountability and partner with the private sector to turn its fortunes around.
She expressed regret about the strike action that had bedeviled the health sector and called on workers in the sector to use laid down procedures to address issues related to emoluments and conditions of service.
Ms Ayittey said she was convinced that the future of the Hospital was bright and if well positioned, it would maintain its leadership role in the provision of healthcare and called on the hospital administration and staff to take steps to complement Government efforts.
Rev Albert O.Botchway, Acting Chief Executive Officer of KATH, commended the board for seeking cabinet and Parliamentary approval for the new Trauma Centre and also spearheading the fundraising for the new Eye Centre, which is about 90 per cent complete, in addition to the construction of the children’s Emergency Centre, expected to be completed within schedule.
He said the ongoing retooling and rehabilitation of infrastructure and replacement of equipment had given a facelift to facilities such as the Catering and Laundry Departments, the Pediatric theatre, Stroke Ward, the Mammography and the Dental Units.
The facilities were refurbished and re-equipped with modern equipment to enhance the quality of services provided by the Hospital, he said.
He expressed the hope that government would continue to support the hospital to start and successfully complete other new projects such as the 400-bed capacity hospital complex and the proposed urology Centre to rejuvenate and reposition Korle Bu as a centre for healthcare in the sub-region.
He saluted forerunners whose toils and contributions have led to the growth and development of Korle Bu into a thriving health complex.
Board Chair of the Hospital, Mr Eddie Annan, said the board would leave no stone unturned to propel the hospital to greater heights and noted it had the right calibre of staff to achieve the feat.
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the premier health care facility in Ghana. It is affiliated with the medical school of the University of Ghana. It has three centres of excellence, the National Cardiothoracic Centre, the National Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Radiotheraphy Centre.
The Hospital was founded in 1923, as the Gold Coast Hospital by the Governor, Gordon Guggisberg, who laid the foundation for Korle-Bu Hospital in 1921, and it was opened on October 9, 1923. The hospital has expanded over the years and now has 1,600 beds.
Source: GNA