President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday cut sod for the construction of a €32-million 100-bed district hospital at Shama, in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan, in the Central Region.
He noted that the event “is yet another important milestone of government’s commitment to guarantee access to healthcare facilities for all Ghanaians, no matter where they live, and to improve their health and wellbeing.”
The two-storey facility is to be fitted with a theatre with a 6-bed intensive care unit, a recovery ward, pharmacy, and laboratory.
It would also have diagnostic services to include a CT scan, a public health department, hospital administration block, kitchen, laundry, maintenance and a logistics building, and a mortuary.
The hospital would also have facilities such as meeting rooms, a library, stores, public health spaces, and offices for the district director and the health management team and sixteen-units of accommodation for hospital workers.
Other components of the hospital are an accident and emergency unit, an out-patient department with consulting rooms, physiotherapy unit, and adjunct facilities for dental, ophthalmology and ear, nose and throat treatments, in-patient wards for males, females and paediatrics, a maternity ward with a well-designed neo-natal intensive care unit, and three theatres for general cases, obstetrics and emergencies.
President Akufo-Addo said the facility, if completed, would contribute to addressing the persistent challenges of high maternal and child health morbidity and mortality in the country.
“It will also accelerate our progress towards the achievement of the SDGs through enhanced access to quality maternal and child health services,” he said.
The President disclosed that government had secured €32 million from Standard Chartered Bank, with a credit guarantee from Sinosure China, and an insurance cover €1.96 million for the project.
He assured the chiefs and people of the area that the project “is a sign of greater things to come for Shama, and, indeed, for the whole nation. Government’s commitment to the total development of Ghana is absolute.”
The President said “hopefully, with four more for Nana, I expect that all of us, gathered here, will be present again, God-willing, for the commissioning of this project, once it is completed.”
He urged all partners, with a stake in the construction of the project, to work assiduously, and ensure that the project was delivered on time and budget.
The facility is to be constructed by Poly Changda, which has extensive experience in China and other parts of Africa in the construction of healthcare facilities.
GNA