By Muyid Deen Suleman
Kumasi Feb. 21, GNA – The Government has released 14 million Euros to the contractors working on the Mother and Child Unit (MBU) project of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to resume work.
The Government has also released five million dollars to the contractors working on the Afari Military Hospital to complete that project.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Minister of Finance, made this known when he paid a working visit to inspect the MBU project at the KATH.
He said the contractors had agreed to resume work on the 900-bed capacity block within two weeks.
The Minister said the Government was committed to completing all ongoing projects in the Ashanti Region, including the Sofoline interchange, the central market phase two project, the KATH Mother and Child block, the Kumasi International Airport and some road projects.
“The President of Ghana would make a big announcement in the coming days and the people of the Ashanti Region will have cause to be happy” Dr Amin Adam told journalists after the inspection.
Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, the Chief Executive of KATH, said the main blocks of the hospital were undergoing a comprehensive renovation works under the ‘Heal Kath Project’ initiated by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as part of his legacy projects.
He said currently, management of the hospital had adopted a phase-by-phase approach towards the project due to lack of space to move patients on admission in the various wards.
The completion of the 900-bed Maternity block would be a welcome gesture since management would have more space to move patients and carry out the renovation works at the blocks, also known as GEE blocks, named after its contractor.
Prof Addae-Mensah said aside the commitment to put KATH in good shape, the hospital lacked equipment and was working with one dialysis machine despite the huge number of patients who visited the facility for care.
“The difficult call I have had to make as CEO has been to ask patients to be sent to private facilities because of lack of equipment to treat them,” he stated.
GNA