EXPANSION OF TAMALE HOSPITAL ON COURSE (PAGE 22, 2010)

WORK on the 43 million Euro expansion and rehabilitation of the Tamale Teaching Hospital is on course.
The project which began in May, this year, is scheduled for completion in four years’ time. At the moment, the contractors, Simed International, are on site busily putting up a new four-storey block which would be handed over by December, 2012.
The entire project involves the construction of a new four-storey block, accident and emergency centre and the refurbishment of existing facilities.
Since its construction in 1974, the hospital has not received any major rehabilitation, leading to the deterioration of facilities and equipment.
When completed, the 400-bed facility will serve as a referral centre for the northern part of the country.
The project is jointly funded by the government and the Fortis Bank NV of The Netherlands.
According to the project director of Simed International, Mr Hans Artz, the project would surely be completed on schedule bearing any unforeseen circumstances.
He, however, expressed concern over the unreliable electricity and water supply to the site, and appealed to the government to help address those challenges in order not to delay the work.
This came to light when the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba and his deputy, Mr Nasamu Asabigi paid a visit to the hospital to inspect the progress of work and also find out the challenges faced by the contractors.
The Regional Minister, who was impressed with the level of work so far done, commended the contractors for their performance and promised to liaise with the appropriate ministries to address their difficulties.
“This project is very dear to the government and the people of northern Ghana; indeed it was one of our major campaign promises and we are happy that it is being fulfilled,” he stressed.
Mr Mabengba also inspected the progress of work on a GH¢300,000 lecture block for the School of Medical and Health Sciences of the University for Development Studies and an MRI diagnostic centre at the hospital.
The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr David Kolbilla, said the school needed capital investment instead of budgetary allocations, which he said were woefully inadequate.
He said currently, the hospital had a bed strength of 329 which would be increased to 400 upon completion of the rehabilitation works.
Dr Kolbilla, who is also a senior lecturer at the UDS Medical School and Consultant Gynaecologist at the hospital, however said: “This will still be inadequate because it allows for the training of only 50 doctors; but with a bed strength of between 600-1000, we would be able to train about 150 doctors annually.”
According to him, health delivery at the hospital with the current bed-strength was being compromised.
Dr Kolbilla, however, expressed satisfaction over the growing numbers of doctors accepting postings to the hospital and added that currently, there were about 90 doctors including various specialists.
“This is more refreshing because majority of the doctors now are Ghanaians instead of what we had in the past when most of them were foreigners. There are limited Cuban doctors here as most of them have been sent to the districts where we are still facing inadequate doctors,” Dr Kolbilla stated.
President John Evans Atta Mills cut the sod for the expansion and rehabilitation works to begin at the hospital in April, this year.