By Akosua Frema Frempong
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu has toured key health infrastructure either completed but inoperative or under construction in the Ashanti Region. The projects are the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital renovation, Sawua Regional Hospital, and the Manhyia Government Hospital Maternity Expansion Project.
The inspection undertaken by Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, was in the company of traditional authorities. His first port of call was the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The mission of Otumfuo Osei Tutu was to inspect the ongoing renovation project.
In October last year, Otumfuo Osei Tutu launched the “Heal the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Project” to raise 10 million Dollars for renovation.
The project aims to address the urgent need for infrastructural improvements at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital, which receives referrals from 12 out of the 16 regions.
The hospital, which was built 70 years ago, is in dire need of renovation, and Otumfuo Osei Tutu considers it part of his mission to improve healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region. The Chairman of the Heal Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Project, Mr. Samuel Adu Boakye, who guided Otumfuo Osei Tutu to inspect ongoing works, said repair work on the entire roof of the Old GEE block has been completed.
“One of the major problems of Komfo was the fact that if it rained today, for two weeks, some of the roofs will be leaking. We are privileged and happy to mention that the last rains that we have experienced, not even one leakage. The King is very pleased with the progress of work so far because of the space concerns the hospital is still in session. So what is happening is that we’ll be doing it in phases. So currently, the A4 and A5 demolitions have happened, and things have almost arrived. So as it arrives we’ll be making sure that just matter of fixing those fixtures and fittings that we have imported to be able to do this. We’ve just started the in house for the roof with one hundred percent,” Mr. Adu Boakye disclosed.
The completed yet inoperative Sawua Regional Hospital was the next port of call for Asantehene. With the help of the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang, and other engineers, Otumfuo Osei Tutu was kept abreast with the condition of the hospital, which was completed about a year ago.
Dr. Tenkorang said access to electricity was the primary cause of the inoperative state of the facility.
“The hospital has been completed for the past year. What we need to do is get electricity connected to the hospital. You know we need a transformer that can power all the machines, and the current electricity that we have will not be enough to power the machines. Yeah, that’s the reason why we believe that we need a new machine. So fortunately, ECG has connected us from the main line and given us two Transformers. All that we need to do now is to connect the hospital to the main lines, and then we can test run machines, train the staff, and then open the facility. Also, the road, we need to put it in shape. I know it had been given to a contractor, but we need to expedite action on it so that we can get all these facilities completed. It is a 290 bed for Ashanti Regional Hospital,” Dr. Tenkorang indicated.
After inspecting the Sawua Government Hospital, Otumfuo Osei Tutu made a brief stop at the Sawua Palace to exchange pleasantries with Sawuahene, Nana Kwaku Amankwah Sarkodie.
The Manhyia Government Hospital was the last medical facility to receive Asantehene. He inspected the expansion project of the Maternity Ward being financed by the Otumfuo Osei Tutu the Second Foundation and the abandoned Emergency Unit and Diagnosis Centre.
The two projects are at the foundation stages.
