By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Kumasi, July 06, GNA – The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has described the ongoing Catheterization Laboratory (Cathlab) project at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) as a game-changing intervention that will revolutionise the delivery of cardiac and other related specialist services in the Ashanti Region.
Madam Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the Administrator of the GMTF, made the remark when she, together with the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, paid a special working visit to KATH to inspect progress of work on the facility.
The delegation was received by management of the hospital, led by the Medical Director, Dr Kwadwo Sarbeng, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo.
The visit forms part of continuous government efforts to strengthen specialist healthcare infrastructure in the country, with the Cathlab project identified as a flagship intervention expected to significantly reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the region.
Madam Darko-Opoku noted that once completed, the Cathlab would eliminate the need for many cardiac patients to travel outside the region, or in some cases outside the country for cardiac care.
She said this would not only save lives but also reduce the financial burden on patients and their families, many of whom currently incur substantial costs seeking such care elsewhere.
She described the facility as transformative, saying it would position KATH as a leading referral centre for cardiac care in the West African sub-region, reinforcing the hospital’s status as the second largest teaching hospital in the country.
Dr. Amoakohene commended the pace of work on the project and expressed satisfaction with progress made so far.
He pledged the continuous support and monitoring of the Regional Coordinating Council to ensure the timely completion of the facility, stressing that the government remained committed to seeing the project through to full operation without undue delay.
The Regional Minister urged the contractors and hospital management to maintain the current momentum, adding that, the successful delivery of the Cathlab would be a major boost to the region’s health infrastructure and a practical demonstration of government’s commitment to improving specialist healthcare delivery outside the national capital.
Beyond the Cathlab inspection, the visit also served as an engagement platform for the KATH management and the GMTF to review the pilot phase of the Patients Support Programme, under which the Trust Fund pays for the treatment of some chronic medical conditions for needy patients.
Madam Darko-Opoku said the engagement was necessary to discuss implementation challenges and related issues arising from the pilot phase, to ensure alignment between KATH and the GMTF.
She said the discussions would also explore opportunities to improve coordination, communication and service delivery between the two institutions, to ensure that needy patients benefiting from the programme received seamless and timely care.
She reiterated the GMTF’s commitment to supporting hospitals across the country to deliver quality healthcare to vulnerable Ghanaians, noting that, programmes such as the Patients Support Programme were central to the Trust Fund’s mandate of easing the financial burden of healthcare on needy citizens.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Yussif Ibrahim
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]