Accra, March 1, GNA – The University of Ghana (UG) Cooperative Credit Union, in commemoration of its 50th Anniversary, has cut the sod for the construction of a 50-bed capacity Emergency Unit for the University’s Health Services (UGHS), Legon.
The Unit, to cost three million Ghana cedis, would cater for all emergency services, including consultation facilities for emergency medical, surgical and accident cases.
It would have the full complement of male, female, pediatric and isolation wards and support facilities, including a pharmacy, laboratory, and kitchenette for staff and patients, among other ancillaries.
The facility is expected to be completed in three months.
Dr Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson, the Board Chairman of the University of Ghana Cooperative Credit Union (UGCCU), said the project constituted a precious legacy of the Union as a means to give back to society.
He said it would help solve the challenges of providing a state-of-the-art facility and effective health services to meet the medical needs of the University Community and its environs.
The Union, since its establishment on August 6, 1971, had become the largest asset-size credit union in Ghana and working hard to become a model of excellence in Africa.
It would continue to add value and empower its members economically while embarking on the community projects to enhance livelihoods, the Board Chair said.
Dr Mark Frempong, the Director of UGHS, Legon, said the facility, when completed, would improve healthcare delivery since the existing emergency centre could not meet the growing needs of the community and its environs.
He said the hospital provided critical care and was one of the busiest in the region due to cases referred to it from other health centres.
That, he said, had brought pressure on the it and called on the Government and other corporate bodies to continue to support the hospital, especially in the provision of infrastructure.
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Vice-Chancellor of UG, commended the Union for its “deepening sense of patriotism” towards the community.
She said the emergency unit would complement the efforts of the Government and the University’s Management to provide accessible healthcare.
“The Union is a very proactive one, which identifies the needs of the community and provides them. This is what is expected of credit unions; to meet the needs of their members and the larger community,” she added.
GNA