President commissions two medical centres, launches GH¢6.1m Medical Fund for Police Service
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Tuesday commissioned two projects and launched a GH¢6.1 million Police Emergency Medical Intervention Fund to improve service delivery at the Police Hospital.
The interventions are also to increase medical access for personnel of the Ghana Police Service.
The two projects, both situated at the Police Hospital in Accra, are; a new Out-Patient Department and a Virtual Medical Centre.
The new Out-Patient Department, valued at GH¢180,000, will enable the Hospital decongest the exisiting facility and be dedicated solely to the treatment of emergency cases.
The GH¢50,000 Virtual Medical Centre, an end-to-end video hospital management system, will allow patients and officers of the Service irrespective of their location across the country, undertake virtual consultation with healthcare professionals at the Police Hospital in Accra.
With a guaranteed protected platform, the facility will offer a seamless medical consultation with a doctor beginning with virtual OPD attendance, through diagnosis, laboratory referrals, prescription of drugs and subsequent reviews, all through virtual means.
If the medical situation of a patient demands a higher level of attention, the medical doctor will make the necessary arrangement for the patient to be evacuated to the nearest medical facility for attention.
The Emergency Medical Intervention Fund will cater for police officers who sustain injuries in the line of duty.
At a short ceremony at the Police Hospital in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said the establishment if the Virtual Medical Centre was in line his Government’s agenda to fully digitalise all aspects of the country’s economy.
“Underlining the digitisation agenda of my government, which comprises of a robust National Identification System, digitised property address system , paperless port system, the e-justice system , pensions and insurance data, a digitised land registry and mobile money interoperability system is the overarching objective to improve transparency , accountability and efficiency in the delivery of public services. “
Noting that the wealth of the nation depended on the health of its people, he said his administration since assumption of office had taken the needed steps to improve the health infrastructure and healthcare delivery systems across the country.
President Akufo-Addo said the new facilities were timely, and would help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which had to a large extent limited person-to-person contact.
Touching on the Emergency Medical Fund, he said he had been assured that beneficiaries would not have to go through the usual bureaucratic and associated delays, which had in the past resulted in some personnel losing their lives whiles awaiting treatment.
Three initial beneficiaries of the Fund, including Chief Inspector Victor Anako , Inspector Theresa Ohene and Corporal Isaac Asuman–Opoku, would have their medical treatment in Ghana and abroad covered by the facility.
“I am hopeful that all police officers who require medical treatment will receive the best of care without recourse to the cost of treatment”, the President said.
He made a personal donation of GH¢100,000 to the Fund.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, expressed the appreciation of the Service to Government for efforts at re-tooling the security agencies, particularly, the Police, to enable them carry out their duty of protecting life and property.
Source: GNA