€14M, $5M released
-To KATH, Afari Military Hospital project contractors
Government has released funds to contractors working on two health projects in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region.
An amount of €14 million has been released to the contractors working on the Mother and Child Unit (MBU) project of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to resume work.
Additionally, the Government has also released $5 million to the contractors working on the Afari Military Hospital to complete that project.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, announced this during a working visit to inspect the MBU project at the KATH.
900-bed Capacity Mother and Child Unit
He stated that the contractors had agreed to resume work on the 900-bed capacity block within two weeks.
He pledged the government’s commitment to completing all ongoing projects in the Ashanti Region, including the Sofoline interchange, the central market phase two project, the KATH Mother and Child block, the Kumasi International Airport, and some road projects.
According to Dr. Amin Adam, the President would make a big announcement in the coming days, and the people of the Ashanti Region will have cause to be happy.
Chief Executive of KATH, Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, mentioned that the main blocks of the hospital were undergoing comprehensive renovation works under the ‘Heal Kath Project’ initiated by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as part of his legacy projects.
He explained that currently, management of the hospital had adopted a phase-by-phase approach towards the project due to a lack of space to move patients on admission in the various wards.
$10m “Heal Komfo Anokye Project”
The “Heal Komfo Anokye Project” aims to raise $10 million in a public fundraising drive for the renovation of the 70-year-old in-patient wards at the Hospital.
The completion of the 900-bed Maternity block would be a welcome gesture since management would have more space to move patients and carry out the renovation works at the blocks, also known as GEE blocks, named after its contractor.
Only one dialysis machine
Prof Addai-Mensah further mentioned that aside from the commitment to put KATH in good shape, the hospital lacked equipment and was working with only one dialysis machine despite the high number of patients who visited the facility for care.
“One of the major challenges we are facing is the need for equipment upgrades. We understand the difficulties the government has faced, especially concerning COVID-19, but we believe that assistance in equipment upgrades is possible, considering that we serve twelve regions,” he stated.
He added, “As CEO, one of the difficult decisions I have had to make is to redirect patients to private facilities due to the lack of equipment to treat them.”
Over 200 nurses resigned
He revealed that in 2023, over 200 nurses and other health professionals left the hospital, negatively impacting its operations.
“In the past year, we have experienced a significant departure of staff. Every day, I have to approve three to five applications for leave of absence or resignation, mostly from nurses, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists.
“We are hoping that we will be allowed to replace these departing staff to ensure we can continue providing the care our patients need,” he expressed.
He appealed to the government to allow authorities to replace the departed staff to enhance service delivery.
1,200-bed KATH
KATH is a 1,200-bed Hospital that serves as a referral facility for cases from all the northern regions (namely, Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions), Brong Ahafo, Central, Western, Eastern, and parts of the Volta Regions.
500-bed Afari Military Hospital
The 500-bed capacity Afari Military Hospital consists of 50 medical and non-medical buildings with 15 operating theaters. It has nine delivery rooms, with two endoscopy operating rooms.
The hospital will also have a medical gas plant for the production of five medical gases.
All buildings are already completed with some furniture installed awaiting medical equipment.
