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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Foo000l the discovery of oil stated at Kwame Nkrumah's time, followed by NDC time before your dog Kufour came okay. Go and do your rearch.
You need some education. You can't equate Ashantis to Akans. Note that ALL ASHANTIS ARE AKANS BUT NOT ALL AKANS ARE ASHANTIS.
MAAHAMA IS I A ***barred word*** AND CRIMINAL AND WILL REMAIN SO.HE HAS SHOWN ALL THESE SO CALL PROJECTS AND THE PEOPLE SAW THROUGH IT AND VOTED MASSIVELY AGAINST A ***barred word***
I HAVE NEVER HEARD THESE NDC LOSERS TALK ABOUT THE HUGE DEBT PRES MAHAMA HAS LEFT FOR GENERATIONS TO PAY.NOT EVEN HALF OF THE BORROWED MONIES WAS USED FOR THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE.THEY TALK AS IF HE USED HIS POCKET MONIES FOR THOSE INFRASTRUTURE. WE THANK GOD THE MAJORITY OF GHANAIANS WHO VOTED AGAINST MAHAMA ARE WISER THAN THESE NDC FANATICS.EVEN THE FOUNDER DID NOT SUPPORT HIS PARTY BLINDLY
The flag staff house that Mahama was enjoying it, who built it, who bought the presidential jet that Mahama and his family were using? Who found oil in Ghana? K4 did his best
kuffour discovered oil field and left everything for NDC to benefits from its outputs.if Mahama has also done some infrastructure by such funds from the state coffers,then he has also done well and contributed his part but unfortunately could not qualify him for the second term because of numerous corruption practices from his team. i the election was extremely fair and justifiable.congratulation president mahama but please let Akufo Addo also continue. Even in your brutal loose ,still your guys are still embacking on loot and share (Omane Boamah).Trust me you are a very fine gentleman but you colleagues ministers&co caused your downfall.its not bad anyway, Ayekoo and bye bye
THERE IS NO WAY KUFFUOR CAN COMPARE HIS ACHIEVEMENTS TO IN 8 YEARS EVEN WITH FREE HIPC MONEY TO WHAT THE LATE ATTA MILLS AND THIS GOD GIVEN JOHN MAHAMA ACHIEVED FOR MOTHER GHANA.KUFFUOR ASANTE CRIMINAL AND A LOW MORAL STANDARD ***barred word*** ONLY BOUGHT A HOTEL FOR HIM AND HIS ***barred word*** CHILDREN.THIS MAHAMA MAN HAS THE COURAGE AS A MAN TO UNDERTAKE THIS DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS WHICH GOD ALMIGHTY WILL BLESS HIM FOR THAT.THE FREE MASON HEAD KUFFUOR WAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY LUCIFER BUT MAHAMA WAS BEEN DIRECTED BY THE HOLY GHOST/SPIRIT.AKUFFO ADDO IN THAT SAME OCULTIC GROUP LEAD BY KUFFUOR AND SUPPORTED BY MOST HIS FORMER MINISTER.MAHAMA YOUR NAME HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE BY ALMIGHTY GOD. DON'T MIND NPP LUCIFER WORSHIPERS.
Why do the ashantis hate this man too much to their spleen?
The hate is too much. Who told you it was negotiated by Ayittey, it was purely done by the government of Ghana headed by Kwabena Duffuor. This was the same lies Dr Frank Sirinour which was rebutted by Duffuor. Please the cost of ridge hospital is never the amount u mentioned. Please stop the hate,some even hate the Mahama to the extent that they won't visit the facility the man spear headed.
Why attribute this project to President Mahama when he himself admits Prof Mills cut the sod for the project to commence back in 2011? The Project was conceived with cost and funding negotiated under the leadership of Prof Aryittey as Vice Chancellor of the University. Why not ask the most intelligent questions? How come this beautiful 1,000 bed capacity edifice with all the related facilities fit for a medical school which President Mahama touts as comparable to any medical facility in the world only costs $271 million but the upgrade of the Ridge Hospital to a 400 bed capacity costs around $306 million? The only difference is that the University of Ghana project was negotiated by the university administration itself whereas the Ridge Hospital project was negotiated and inflated by the corrupt NDC government officials... President Mahama should be ashamed of himself for such gargantuan corruption.