President Akufo Addo has cut sod for work to commence on the abandoned 47-year-old maternity block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The almost 1000 bed maternity and child health block which started in 1974 was to help deal with the serious congestion on the existing facility.
But it has been abandoned by successive governments after President Ignatius Kutu Acheampong started it in the 70s.
Addressing the gathering, President Akufo-Addo said an amount of a €155 million loan has been approved for completion of the work. He also noted the project will be an ultra-modern facility when completed.
According to the President, Akufo-Addo the 750 bed facility would double as a referral centre.
The facility, when completed will have among other things, lecture halls, 10 operating theatres, an Out Patient Department, and an Obstetrics Unit.
On his part, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu recounted government’s approval of 18 health facilities, out of which 6 will be established in Ashanti region this year. Adding that, “about 17 health facilities have been commissioned nationally within the span of three years.”
Earlier, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, confirmed the president visit and said the project will be completed in three years.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Komfo Anokye Teaching, Prof. Ohene Adjei, on August 2, 2011, complained about the delay of the project at the 2011 Mid-year Performance review workshop for management and staff of the hospital.
At the time, the completion of the six-storey Maternity and Children block for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) was still unknown to management of the hospital.
As part of the First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo efforts in addressing the maternity-related facilities at the hospital, he cut sod for the construction of a new Maternity Unit worth GHC 10 million at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital after raising funds in Accra and Kumasi.
Source: Pouliwe Nyodi/ATL FM NEWS
