By Hafsa Obeng / Christabel Kporvie
Accra, Sept. 9, GNA – The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in partnership with Africa’s Brain Bank, on Monday, broke ground for the construction of a Global Medical City at Ada in the Greater Accra Region.
This forms part of the Authority’s efforts to promote medical tourism and attract investment into Ghana’s healthcare sector.
The project is expected to combine healthcare delivery, medical research, education, technology and tourism to create an integrated medical tourism hub that will serve Ghana, Africa and the international community.
The initiative would create jobs, attract healthcare professionals and investors, and reduce the need for patients to travel outside the continent for specialised medical treatment.
It also forms part of efforts to position Ghana as a destination for quality healthcare and medical tourism, while retaining healthcare related expenditure within the country.
Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GTA said the project presented an opportunity for the tourism industry to contribute to the development of Ghana’s healthcare and investment sectors.
She said the GTA was pleased to partner Africa’s Brain Bank to establish the Medical City, which would attract investors and position Ghana as a destination for quality healthcare and medical tourism.
Madam Houadjeto said the initiative would also create opportunities for employment, investment and collaboration between the tourism and healthcare sectors.
She also expressed appreciation for the partnership saying it demonstrated the important role of tourism in supporting other sectors of the economy.
Rev. Dr Pam Fomunung, Visionary, CEO and Group Chair of Africa’s Brain Bank said the Global Medical City was conceived as a business and investment project aimed at providing high-quality healthcare while contributing to economic development.
She said the Medical City would comprise hospitals, clinics, training institutions, research and innovation centres, digital health facilities and other businesses to create a complete healthcare ecosystem.
Dr. Fomunung said the project would be developed in phases and was expected to eventually accommodate about 30 hospitals.
She said the project would also create jobs and ensure that local people benefited from the investment, saying the investors would be required to employ a percentage of local residents and provide training where necessary to equip them with the skills needed for employment.
Dr. Fomunung said the Medical City would also use artificial intelligence, telemedicine and other digital technologies to connect healthcare professionals in Ghana with specialists around the world.
“This Medical City is also being developed as a legacy project that would serve generations to come, with buildings and facilities designed to last for more than 100 years” she said.
She said the project was designed to make healthcare more accessible while reducing the need for Africans to travel outside the continent for medical treatment.
She said the project would prioritise patient safety by introducing an effective shift system for doctors, nurses and other health professionals to reduce fatigue and overwork.
According to her, healthcare professionals needed adequate rest to remain alert and provide safe and effective care to patients.
She said the system would help build public confidence in the facility and ensure that patients and people from the diaspora who sought treatment there received quality care in a safe environment.
Dr. Michael Obeng, a Ghanaian American plastic surgeon, said the establishment of the Medical City in Ghana was significant because many Africans travelled abroad to seek specialised healthcare, and this facility would provide highly specialised services that would help retain healthcare expenditure within Africa.
He said the Medical City was expected to operate as a quaternary healthcare centre, providing advanced medical services, including specialised surgeries, cancer treatment and research.
Dr Obeng said Ghana had highly skilled medical professionals who could contribute to the success of the project and that the facility also seeks to attract specialists and researchers from across the world.
He noted that about 3,000 acres of land had been made available for development and that the project would be constructed in phases.
“The first building is expected to be completed within three to five years, with the ultimate objective of developing a world-class medical centre comparable in ambition to leading medical centres globally.”
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporters: Hafsa Obeng / Christabel Kporvie
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