Lieutenant General Henry Joseph Smith, Defence Minister, has appealed to limited liability companies to look beyond profit making and contribute to the country’s social and infrastructure development.
He also said: “I appeal to all financial institutions to consider partnering the public sector in finding ways of removing pain and deprivation as far as the health of the people is concerned”.
Lt. Gen. Smith made the call when he opened the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit of the 37 Military Hospital, in Accra on Thursday.
The Fidelity Bank solely funded the establishment of the unit with 2.5 million dollars and also released an undisclosed amount towards the rehabilitation of sewage system at the Military Academy and Training School.
The machine at the unit, called “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)”, reconstructs the body by capturing images of every part of the body including small organs into three-dimensional images.
Lt. Gen. Smith said the project was an example of public-private partnership and noted that “If we team up in this manner our development will pick up a speed of its own without the need for government intervention.”
He said that the equipment would help improve the quality of health delivery to Ghanaians adding that the hospital would soon become a national emergency health centre.
Lt. Gen. Smith asked the authorities of the hospital to regularly maintain the machine adding “I will demand strict accountability and discipline in the running of the equipment and a breakdown due to negligence on the part of anybody will attract sanction”.
He urged the hospital staff, especially operators of the equipment, to discard divisiveness and ensure regular consultation and team spirit so that Ghanaians could befit from the facility.
Lt. Gen. Smith said the medical receptions stations at the various garrisons would be rehabilitated because of the crucial role they played in the communities they were located.
He thanked the former Defence Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, who in 2007 received the proposal from the 37 Hospital authorities and consulted the Fidelity Bank to purchase and install the machine.
Lt. Gen. Smith also lauded the Bank for providing the equipment, which according to him would benefit all Ghanaians and people of neighbouring countries in the West Africa Sub-region.
Brigadier General Jasuant Mante Wadhawani, Commandant of the 37 Military Hospital, said the introduction of the MRI was a major breakthrough in rendering comprehensive health care to the people.
He gave the assurance that the machine would be put to good use to justify investment made in the project.
Lieutenant Colonel (Dr) Andrew Kaminta, Head of the Radiology Department of the Hospital, said the MRI was important for diagnosing sport injuries and had greater advantage over computed tomography.
He explained that the bank would receive all proceeds from operations of the machine for about two years before releasing it to the state.
Mr. Edward Effah, General Manager of the Fidelity Bank, said with the introduction of the MRI, many lives would be saved and called on the operators of the machine to adopt constant maintenance culture.
Source: GNA
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