President John Mahama on Wednesday inaugurated the first phase of a new 650-bed University of Ghana Medical Centre at Legon in Accra.
Said to be comparable to none in West Africa, the $271 million Medical Centre is a referral facility.
The facility comprises eight separate buildings and houses, different specialised areas such as emergency, Imaging, operating theatres, laboratories and a computer room.
It will also have maternity and paediatric clinics, an orthopaedic centre, an in-patient medical training facility, staff accommodation and a maintenance and logistics building.
The centre will provide specialists care in areas, including urology, ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat, cardiology, dermatology, neurology and interventional radiology (cancers).
It also has facilities for cancer management, a medical hotel where clients could live and consult specialists, in addition to assisted reproductive technology, to provide fertility solutions as well as a helipad that will allow emergency cases to be airlifted to the centre.
Milestone
Before unveiling a plaque to open the hospital, President Mahama said the facility would not only make Ghana a centre for medical tourism but also reduce cases of Ghanaians travelling abroad to seek medical attention.
“It is a major milestone as the country in its quest to improve quality healthcare availability to Ghanaians. The completion is a dream come true. Residents within the catchment area of the university and even beyond Ghana will have access to a first class medical facility, “he stated.
President Mahama paid homage to his predecessor, President J.E.A Mills, who cut the sod for the construction of the centre on March 12, 2011.
He said initially the intention was to move the University of Ghana Medical School from Korle Bu to the centre but logistical constraints and other challenges had made it not feasible immediately.
However, the President said high specialised training offered by the medical school and specialised services would take place at the new hospital while part of the medical school remained at Korle Bu.
“This will create a symbiotic relationship between the hospital and the centre,” he added.
The centre also hosts a national medical training and simulation centre which, President Mahama said, would be used in training health professionals.
“This would make the University of Ghana Medical Centre one of the best centres of excellence on the African continent. The centre is equipped with the most modern up-to date medical gadgets capable of simulating disease conditions to enable our professionals to have a comprehensive hands-on training experience on how to manage such conditions.”
Second phase
With the second phase still on the table, President Mahama was optimistic that the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would “take special interest in the work done here to make this project operational in the shortest possible time.”
The entire project, he said, was based on investment and business-model of making the centre self-financing within five years and become autonomous.
Undertaken by Messrs Engineering and Development Consultants Limited, with medical consultation provided by the Sheba Medical Centre of Israel, the centre is expected to provide cutting-edge medical training and research for various health professionals.
As part of the project, a number of Ghanaian health professionals, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists have undergone short-term hands-on training at the Sheba Medical Centre and they are expected to constitute a critical mass of staff to be engaged to run the hospital.
In that regard, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana observed that equipment or facilities did not make hospitals but rather skilled healthcare personnel.
He gave an assurance that Israel would continue to provide training for the personnel to be engaged for the centre.
Specialist services
The one-stop medical facility, in addition to offering medical training and research opportunities for medical professionals in the country, would provide sub-specialist services.
The specialist services will be in areas such as surgery, radiology, internal medicine, pharmacy, paediatrics, medical education, anaesthesia, gynaecology, accident and emergency services.
That, the Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia, said, positioned the hospital as one that could be compared with any medical facility around the world.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, while applauding the strides, said there were still challenges that needed to be addressed before the facility could become operational.
These challenges, which, he said, needed urgent government action, included approval for phase two of the project, approval of the 2017 budget of the centre, approval of request for financial clearance by the Ministry of Finance for staff recruitment and approval for seed capital for the purchase of drugs and non-drug consumable.
Phase two
The second phase of the project will commence after the hospital begins operations.
That phase will include the addition of 400 beds, a modern community morgue, heart, cancer and rehabilitation centres, as well as a dialysis unit.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
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Commissioner General at work.Just waiting for him to commission my new wc in Tema
you can even commission our names Ghanaians have spoken that is all
ONce upon a time, two were 2 similar business. One owner decided to go for bank credit and expanded his business and his business grow and profits increased substantially. The other owner decided to rely on his meager profit for expansion which was in little bits and grow and profits were little. Who was wiser???? It takes a bold visionary to think big. Thank you President Mahama, l believe God allowed this change for Ghanaians to witness the 4 years and compare then cry for your return in 2020. God bless you...
If it is not rocket science why didnt your President Kufuor achieve half of it in eight years. It takes vison to do certain things and not semi illiterate minds like you
Is this rocket science? In 2016? Building infrastructure is the easiest of tasks! Stop pretending Mahama is the one who founded Ghana, or as if there was nothing in Ghana before Mahama and NDC! Sickening!
Ghanaians will seek after this man and they will not find him. Ghanaians have proven beyond all treasonable doubt that we do not know what is good for us and we are carried away by all sorts of winds like what has happened. I always refer this era to Nkrumah's era. It is 50 years in 2016 when these same NPP and their forefathers overthrew him and truncated all the good works with the same excuse that we were suffering and there was no money in our pockets. History rewritten. God gave us a second chance but we have wasted that one too. Prez Mahama God will continue to bless u. Even Jesus Christ was betrayed, insulted, spat on etc but today he is our rock and salvation. If the devil knew that Jesus was going to become the heir apparent of Heaven , he would have thought twice in the betrayal. Your enemies will remember you and cry. Ghana has lost a faithful servant
why do u want your fathers name to be on it.bellle
Onipa beyee bi
Despite Prez Mahama perceived shortcomings He will still be remembered for the massive injection of capital into health, education and infrastructure.Kudos Bro.
Prez Mahaha must by all means commission the facility to have his name boldly embossed on it. Eiii, Commissioner General. Hmmmmmm