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The Minister of Health Ms Sherry Ayittey, Tuesday said despite government�s effort in supporting the health sector, its budget was still huge and called for private partnership to boost its fortunes. She said some individuals and corporate bodies have renovated wards and provided equipment for the teachings hospitals but noted that the sector needs support to train more specialists to handle specialised cases, and midwives to assist maternal health programmes. Taking her turn at the �Meet The Press� series in Accra, she said the broad term objective in the medium term development plan (2010-2013) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to among other things bridge the equity gap in accessing health and nutrition services. It was also to ensure a sustainable financial arrangement that protects the poor as well as improve governance and strengthen efficiency and effectiveness in health service delivery. Outlining the sector�s priorities, the Minister said Community �Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS), has been scaled up, while public health interventions, including TB, Malaria, HIV/AIDS and the eradication of guinea worm have also been intensified. She said other priority areas that had been implemented were the Human Resource for Health development plan and the improvement of public financial management systems. These notwithstanding, the 2013 sector meet the press series focused on the three teaching hospitals. Ms Ayittey noted that the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has experienced major infrastructural transformation over the last three years. These include an ultra modern two storey eye care centre, valued at GH�1.5 million, from the Himalayan Cataract Project fund, a refurbished psychiatry department at the cost of GHC191,399 in 2009, an emergency lane at the cost of GH�7,000 to enhance emergency response capabilities in the hospital and a 32-flat nurses' block. The KATH has also procured a brand new theatre table and other medical equipment for the hospital, while a canopy walkway has also been constructed at the cost of GH�41,000 to link the Accident and Emergency Unit and the old GEE blocks to facilitate all weather transfer of patients. The Korle-bu Teaching hospital, under the National Equipment Replacement Project has seen the refurbishment and the re- equipping of the old kitchen and the old laundry to enhance the quality of services provided by the Hospital at the cost of 287 million dollars. The Hospital also has in place new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility, a new Mammogram, a new CT scan and a new dental suite with new and modern equipment. When completed, the Hospital would be able to provide seamless services to the numerous patients who travel from all parts of the country and across the sub region, the Minister said. Ms Ayittey said the Hospital would be getting four new oxygen plants to ensure uninterrupted supply for patients. She said a fibre optic cable has also been laid at the hospital to facilitate the introduction of a paperless patient service in Korle-Bu, which would include the teleconferencing and other Information Technology related applications. The installation would also assist in keeping electronic data base of patients and facilitate the transmission of medical report to appropriate quarters. The Tamale Teaching Hospital has undergone infrastructural development, which has given a new facelift to the hospital. Other developments include a completed four storey (block E), linking the existing hospital structure, the installation of state of the art diagnosis equipment and new institutional clinical services. The Tamale Hospital has an objective to improve institutional care, including mental health service delivery, enforce standards, guidelines and protocols to improve the quality of institutional care. The Hospital is also poised to ensure the availability of essentials human resources, strengthen the policy and regulatory framework governing the sector and also strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration and public private partnerships.