2015 Budget: Gov�t Continues To Deliver On Healthcare Needs Of Ghanaians- Seth Terkper

Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance has indicated that government has embarked on vigorous infrastructure to expand access to health care in all parts of the country through an expanded NHIL and allocations from the central budget. According to him, government is making significant investment in the infrastructure, equipment and personnel of the health sector. Stating the infrastructural development, he mentioned the 600-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital project; 420-bed Ridge Hospital Expansion Project; the 500-bed Military Hospital Project in Kumasi; the Second phase of the Tamale Teaching Hospital after the completion of the 400-bed first phase of the project; the Police Hospital Project; the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua-Kumasi; and the Upper West Regional Hospital project. He again mentioned that, following the request to expand access to healthcare, nineteen (19) out of twenty-one (21) Health Centers have been completed at the following locations: Amasaman, Doffor, Pokukrom, New Jejeti, Paakro, Gwollu, Funsi, Sang, Buipe, Manso Nkwanta, Abuakwa, Mase, Sosokpe, Kedzi, Adamso, Kayoro, Timonde, Bonsu Nkwanta and Dadieso. Three District Hospitals under the same project have also been completed at Adjumako, Essam, Zabzugu District Hospitals, including construction of eye care centre at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. He further indicated that under the National Hospital Equipment Replacement Program, government is providing modern hospital equipment to enhance healthcare delivery; thus, this initiative has ensured the construction and equipping of New MRI and CT Scan Centres in the Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals. He revealed in the 2015 budget that the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital alone benefited from a $57 million project to replace and rehabilitate obsolete equipment and theatres. He added that twelve operating theatres for Pediatric and General Surgery (which had been closed for nearly eight years), the Neo-natal Intensive care Unit and the Baby unit have been refurbished. �Korle Bu also took delivery of Mammography, MRI, CT Scan, X-ray machines and Oxygen plants. Under the same scheme, procurement and installation of new X-Ray Equipment in 40 selected District Hospitals took place nationwide...the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) concept remains the Ministry�s main strategy of bring basic health services to the community level. In this regard, a total of 724 CHPS zones were made functional. Family planning coverage increased from 13.9 per cent in 2013 to 16.6 per cent as at September 2014 whilst we increased our ambulance stations to 126 by establishing new ambulance stations at Kasoa, Atomic Junction in Accra, Tarkwa and Axim. A total of 14,322 cases were recorded, comprising 8,232 inter-hospital transfers and 6,090 emergencies,� he stated in the 2015 budget.