By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, July 15, GNA – Dr Adaysle Martin Atuguba, Director, University Health Services, Tamale Technical University (TaTU) Hospital, has appealed to the government, development partners and corporate organisations to support the expansion of the hospital’s infrastructure to enhance effective healthcare delivery.
He said the nine-year-old hospital, which currently operates with only 53 beds, was forced to treat many patients on chairs, treatment couches and even on the floor because of inadequate space.
Dr Atuguba made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a ceremony where Oxfam in Ghana, under its “Power to Choose” project, donated medical equipment, essential medicines and health commodities worth GH¢1,497,928.66 to strengthen maternal, newborn and sexual and reproductive healthcare services at the facility.
He emphasised that improving the hospital’s infrastructure had become critical, especially with the completion of its new theatre, which would enable it to undertake major surgical procedures that were previously referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
He said “Although health workers continue to provide care to everyone, who seeks treatment, it is important to address the infrastructure challenges to enhance access to quality healthcare delivery.”
Dr Atuguba explained that the hospital would require additional wards, consulting rooms and treatment spaces to cope with the anticipated increase in admissions and ensure patients received quality healthcare in a conducive environment.
He said although the facility was established to serve the Tamale Technical University community, students and staff constituted less than five per cent of its patient population while most clients came from communities such as Nyohini, Gumbihini, Kukuo, Sagnarigu and even outside the Northern Region.
He said the increasing patronage reflected public confidence in the quality of services provided even though the hospital operated on limited resources and therefore renewed his appeal to the government and other stakeholders to invest in expanding the facility to improve healthcare delivery for the growing population in the Sagnarigu Municipality and beyond.
He described the donation by Oxfam in Ghana and partners as timely and said most of the equipment had not previously been available at the hospital and would significantly improve emergency response and the quality of maternal and reproductive healthcare services for residents of the Sagnarigu Municipality and surrounding communities.
He commended Oxfam in Ghana, Norsaac and the Ghana Health Service for supporting the training of more than 10 medical doctors and midwives, adding that the capacity-building programmes had enhanced staff skills and confidence in delivering maternal, newborn and adolescent sexual and reproductive healthcare.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/George-Ramsey Benamba