By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), March 21, GNA – The Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) is advancing its vision to become Ghana’s leading medical tourism hub, even as it grapples with an increasing patient load, overcrowding wards, and a rising mortality rate.
Speaking at the hospital’s 2024 Annual Performance Review Conference, Dr. John Tampuori, the CEO of HTH, highlighted both the institution’s progress and the challenges it faces.
He noted that the hospital’s delivery service had expanded significantly, with an increasing number of patients seeking medical care for diverse health conditions.
This has led to a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in mortality rates.
Dr. Tampuori stated that HTH’s staff strength grew from 1,532 in 2023 to 1,590 in 2024, excluding clinical staff from the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) who contributed to service delivery.
He acknowledged a rise in medical personnel attrition, increasing from 63 in 2023 to 83 in 2024, but reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to retaining top talent to achieve its healthcare and medical tourism goals.
Regarding patient services, he mentioned that Outpatient Department (OPD) visits increased from 211,104 in 2023 to 212,129 in 2024, demonstrating growing public confidence in the hospital’s services.
Total hospital admissions, however, declined from 11,769 in 2023 to 10,936 in 2024. Bed occupancy rates rose from 68.9 per cent in 2023 to 73.5 per cent in 2024, while the average length of hospital stay remained at six days. Surgeries performed slightly declined from 2,571 in 2023 to 2,518 in 2024.
Regarding the performance of the Hospital relating to maternal and Child health services, maternal mortality increased from 18 deaths representing 833 per 100,000 livebirths in 2023 to 20 deaths representing 1,170 per 100,000 livebirths.
Neonatal mortality, however declined from 69 deaths representing 38.4 per 1,000 livebirths in 2023 to 55 deaths, representing 35.5 per 1000 livebirths
Dr. Tampuori assured that HTH is committed to improving maternal and neonatal healthcare services to further reduce mortality rates.
HTH has seen improvements in its diagnostic services: Radiology procedures increased from 19,622 in 2023 to 20,050 in 2024.Ultrasound procedures rose from 6,799 in 2023 to 8,041 in 2024. Laboratory procedures increased from 124,596 in 2023 to 128,635 in 2024.
Dr. Tampuori emphasized the hospital’s strategic collaborations with both local and international healthcare organizations to improve service quality.
He also acknowledged the increase in total hospital deaths, which rose from 1,002 in 2023 to 1,010 in 2024, with the mortality rate increasing from 8.6 per cent to 9.4 per cent.
He assured that HTH remains focused on reversing this trend through continuous improvement and innovation in healthcare delivery.
As part of its long-term vision, HTH is pursuing international healthcare standards, expanding community outreach initiatives, and increasing investment in research and development to enhance service quality.
Mr. Kafui Kanyi, the Medical Tourism Coordinator at HTH, emphasised that developing a medical tourism sector in Ghana could create jobs across healthcare, transportation, accommodation, and tourism, ultimately boosting the country’s GDP.
He called on the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts to develop health tourism as a specialized sector, similar to eco-tourism, to attract international patients.
Additionally, he urged the Ministry of Health to: Empower hospitals to undergo international accreditation to meet global healthcare standards, introduce medical travel policies to position Ghana as a competitive destination for healthcare services, establish a Health Tourism Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Health to drive the agenda forward.
HTH’s leadership remains confident that, with strong stakeholder participation, strategic partnerships, and government support, the hospital will solidify its position as Ghana’s premier destination for medical tourism while enhancing healthcare services for both local and international patients.
GNA
MA/KOA