110-year-old Goaso Municipal Hospital cries for retooling …to deliver quality healthcare
The Management and staff of Goaso Municipal Hospital (GMH) have appealed to the government, philanthropic organisations and individuals in the country and abroad to provide it with equipment and accommodation facilities, to ensure quality healthcare delivery.
Dr James Ankomah, the Medical Superintendent, GMH, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday at Goaso, the Ahafo Regional capital, said the hospital, established in 1912 needed to be expanded and retooled to respond to the needs of the growing population.
The Medical Superintendent noted that the facility was in urgent need of medical equipment namely anaesthesia, cardiotocography, physiotherapy, Electrocardiogram (ECG), phototherapy, centrifuge, diathermy, and orthopedic machines.
Other equipment included pulse oximeters, perfusors, infusion pumps, fetal dopplers, radiant warmers, dental chairs, theatre tables, ophthalmoscope, arterial blood gas analyser, forsemeter, electronic microscope, BP apparatus, tanometer, slit lamp and cardiac monitors.
Dr Ankomah disclosed that the hospital also lacked office space for the physiotherapy, Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART), psychiatric, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), nutrition and X-ray departments.
“The accident and emergency unit of the Goaso Municipal hospital is too small for the area. The facility has been a major referral center of cases in the Ahafo Region and beyond,” he stated.
The Medical Superintendent solicited support from donors and other cooperate societies to provide residential accommodation facilities for the medical Doctors and other health professionals of the hospital.
Dr Ankomah expressed worry about how only four per cent of the 527 total workforce of the hospital has accommodation at the premise, saying that the rest live in rented houses in far places.
“Two of our medical Doctors live in rented apartments. Others lodge at hotels and guest houses. This has dangerous impact on quality healthcare provision. This has drained our internally generated funds,” he said.
The Medical Superintendent noted that one medical Doctor was posted to the hospital, but there was lack of accommodation for him, adding that some of the Doctors had been perching with their colleagues.
Dr Ankomah appealed to the Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, Member of Parliament for Asunafo North, Evans Bobie, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and citizens of Ahafo locally and abroad, to come to the aid of the hospital.
He thanked the Paramount Chief of Goaso Traditional Council (GTC), Nana Kwasi Bosomprah, among other stakeholders for contributing their quota to the development of the facility.
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, GOASO
