By Samuel SAM
The construction of the Tamale Teaching Hospital’s (TTH) Cardiology Centre, a special facility to offer advanced diagnosis, treatment and care for cardiovascular conditions under one roof, is advancing steadily.
The facility, constructed under the Mahama Cares of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Health initiative, started as a plan for a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (CATLAB) but expanded to a centre and hopes to be completed by August 2026; and is expected to reduce the burden on patients and strengthen healthcare in the north.
The facility, when completed, would be equipped with modern equipment to provide services like angioplasty and other interventional cardiology services.
It also aimed to decentralise specialised cardiac care, bringing lifesaving treatment closer to residents in the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions as well as those from the sub-Saharan regions.
President John Dramani Mahama, who visited the site to observe progress of the work as part of his two-day #ResettingGhana tour to the region, was impressed by the progress of the facility; and hopes it will be completed by the last quarter of the year.
“This Cardio Centre is part of a broader vision to ensure that quality, specialised healthcare is not concentrated only in Accra and Kumasi, but reaches every part of Ghana”, he said.
President Mahama explained that “the project was born out of a painful real-life tragedy while recounting how a doctor in Kumasi suffered a cardiac emergency and urgently needed angioplasty, a procedure to open blocked arteries, but could not access timely, specialised care”.
“This incident deeply moved me and underscored the critical gaps in cardiovascular services, especially for people in the northern parts of Ghana”, he said.
He noted that patients from the five regions of the north and even neighbouring countries currently have to travel long distances to facilities like Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi or Korle-Bu in Accra for heart-related treatment, which often leads to delays, high costs and, sometimes, tragic outcomes.
He also directed the Ministry of Health to begin planning for a Cancer Treatment Centre at the same hospital to make the hospital become a true centre of excellence with multiple specialist units similar to expansions done at Korle-Bu.
He expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund team for funding the project and described the project as a transformative step toward equitable healthcare delivery in northern Ghana.
Minister of Health Kwabena Mintah Akando expressed gratitude to President Mahama for his vision and leadership in initiating and upgrading the project.
He said the project, when completed, would be a transformative step toward equitable healthcare delivery in northern Ghana.
He stressed that patients will no longer have to endure long, risky journeys for heart care.
Northern Regional Minister Ali Adolf John commended the President for the commitment toward healthcare development in the Northern Region and expressed appreciation for the ongoing projects.
He noted that such projects are positively transforming the landscape of the region, thereby improving access to specialised services for residents.
He called on staff to support the construction of the facility for national development.
He assured the Regional Coordinating Council’s commitment to collaborating for quality work done on time.
Post Views: 10
Discover more from The Business & Financial Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
