AfDB constructs $23.2m ultra modern hospital in Tarkwa
African Development Bank (AfDB) has constructed an ultra modern hospital at a cost of $23.29 million for the people of Tarkwa and its environs to strengthen quality health care delivery in the country.
The new hospital, which is fully equipped has 120 beds, an administration block, Out Patient Department, accident and emergency block, a public health unit, diagnostic imaging block with X ray equipment, physiotherapy unit with gymnasium, a pharmacy, wards and three operating theaters.
Handing over the keys of the hospital to the Director- General of the Ghana Health Service at a short ceremony in Bogrekrom, a suburb of Tarkwa, the Minister of Health, Honorable Sherry Ayittey explained that the project was part of the third phase of the banks response to the government of Ghana’s request for assistance to build up municipal and district health systems.
Hon. Ayittey said the first phase of this project covered some intervention at the Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye teaching hospitals as well as the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, while the second phase dealt with the Kibi, Yendi and Keta district hospitals, adding that, both phases had been completed.
The Minister said the new hospital would assist the region and assembly in bridging existing gaps in access to quality health care and support the referral and outreach services in the district.
She said it would also assist the government’s agenda of making quality health services available and affordable to the poor.
Hon. Ayittey commended the contractor Top International Engineering Limited, a Chinese base company for giving user training to 23 staff of the hospital on the new equipment that had been installed.
She entreated the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to manage the facility effectively to ensure that the public attained the optimum benefit from it.
The Ghana resident representative of AfDB, Mrs. Marine Laure said Ghana was a founding member of the bank and was one of the major beneficiaries of their resources under the African Development Fund.
According to her, since the bank began operations in Ghana in 1973, they had funded 122 projects amounting to $2.5 billion.
Mrs. Laure said their current operations cover 23 projects worth $1.0 billion in sectors like agriculture, education, gender, roads, energy, water and sanitation.
In a speech read on behalf of Municipal Chief Executive for Tarkwa Nsueam, Mrs. Christina Kobinah congratulated the traditional rulers for releasing the land for such a useful project.
She said as part of their efforts to make the hospital functional the assembly had released GH¢50,000 to the Ghana Health Services for the furnishing of the place.
Mrs. Kobinah said the department of urban roads had adopted the two roads leading to the hospital for construction and pointed out that the procurement process for the main road had started and would soon be awarded, while the virgin road through the railway quarters had also been earmarked for next year.
The MCE said plans are far advanced to move the wood sellers from Kawrekwanano to Essamang Kakraba to enable the free movement of vehicles leading to the hospital.
The Director-General of GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira thanked the company for the kind gesture and called on the authorities of the hospital to manage and maintain the facilities.
Dr. Appiah-Denkyira appealed to staff of the hospital to continue to work hard to reduce teenage pregnancy, maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS in the country.
Source: GNA