President Akufo-Addo cuts sod for construction of €70 million hospital in Eastern Region
The president cuts the sod for the commencement of phase one construction on the proposed 600-bed Eastern Regional Hospital
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod on Wednesday 22 July 2020 for the commencement of construction in phase one of the new 600-bed Eastern Regional Hospital – a project which will be complete in 36 months.
President Akufo-Addo told local people and guests, “Phase one of this new hospital project will involve the construction of a 285-bed facility, out of the total capacity of 600 beds. Once fully completed, it will be fitted with the requisite teaching and learning facilities, and will position the Eastern Region on the right side of the health-care map of our country.”
The President said that when completed, the new Eastern Regional Hospital will handle and help improve acute care and referral services, as well as lend support to the ever-expanding scope of primary health-care facilities. In addition, it will support the development of mutual health insurance organisations within the region and its districts.
With the entire hospital project costing €70 million, he told guests gathered at the new project site, funding has been secured from Standard Chartered Bank UK, with credit guarantee support from UK Export Financing (UKEF) to the tune of €7.92 million.
“Ghana continues to be grateful to UKEF for their continued support in our infrastructure development programme for all sectors of our economy. I am happy to state that the entire funding amount of €70 million has already been secured for Tyllium UK Ltd, the contractors for this project. They must, therefore, ensure that this project is completed within the 36-month period and on budget,” he urged.
Set to cover a total floor area of approximately 20,000 square metres, the Eastern Regional Hospital will be fitted with the following facilities: administration, training, conference and teaching rooms; an outpatient department; accident and emergency services; adjunct clinical services (pharmacy, imaging with magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI); pathological services; surgical services, including seven theatres and endoscopy; obstetrics and gynaecology; inpatient wards; a burns care unit; ICT installations and provision of a health information management system (HIMS); a medical waste management system; and provision of mixed-type accommodation units for hospital workers.
President Akufo-Addo signalled also that the outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed the unequal distribution of health-care facilities Ghana, as the nation has tended to focus its infrastructure on Accra and one or two of the other big cities. But, as we have seen, rampant disease, when it emerges, can spread to any part of our country.
“There are 101 districts in our country without a district hospital; we have six new regions without regional hospitals; and we do not have infectious disease control centres dotted across the country. The government is doing something about it, and that is why, shortly, the construction of the 101 hospitals in the districts without hospitals will start,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “It will mean that the eight districts in this region currently without hospitals – namely Akyemansa, Asene/Manso/Akroso, Asuogyaman, Atiwa, Ayensuano, Birim South, Kwahu Afram Plains South and Upper West Akyem – will see the construction of district hospitals. Each of the hospitals will be a quality, standard-design, 100-bed hospital, with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers.”
In addition to these, the president said that the government has also put in place plans for the construction of six new regional hospitals in the six new regions, the rehabilitation of Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, and the construction of a new regional hospital for the Western Region.
“Indeed, the government is committed to modernising all other major hospitals across the country, so they can deliver quality health care for our people and help Ghana become, also, an attractive destination for medical tourism in the region,” he said.
Thanking the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, for the gift of the land on which the hospital will stand, he assured guests that “this project is a sign of greater things to come for Koforidua, the Eastern Region and, indeed, for the whole nation. The government’s commitment to the total development of Ghana is absolute.”
Wilberforce Asare / Asaase Radio correspondents
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