By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Oct. 25, GNA – Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, the Director of the Upper East Regional Hospital has appealed for the establishment of an oncology unit and other specialized diagnostic facilities to improve cancer care to reduce referrals to other health facilities.
He said the hospital required an oncology unit, a histopathology laboratory and biosafety equipment to strengthen its capacity to diagnose and treat patients with cancer.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement organized by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCare, Dr Tambil said the hospital had identified more than 30 patients as potential or confirmed cases but had referred some elsewhere due to limited specialist services.
“We have referred some cases to other facilities because we do not have the capacity,” he said, and cited the lack of oncologists and a histopathology laboratory as major constraints.
He appealed to the Fund to support the establishment of the necessary facilities and stressed that the hospital needed a biosafety cabinet to protect health workers administering chemotherapy from exposure to hazardous drugs.
The Director commended President John Dramani Mahama for establishing the GMTF, and described the initiative as timely, particularly as the country continued to face the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
He explained that Ghana was experienced a transition in its disease burden, with infectious diseases coexisting with non-communicable conditions such as cancer.
“A family with just one person with a cancer can spell economic doom for that family,” he said, adding that the Fund would provide important support to patients and their families.
Dr Tambil also praised the Fund’s management for its nationwide stakeholder engagements and the progress made since their first consultative meeting with the hospital just over a year ago.
He said the hospital had already benefited from a truckload of medicines donated by the Fund, as well as an arterial blood gas analyser to support the monitoring of critically ill patients in intensive care.
The equipment, he noted, was helping to improve the quality of care and save lives.
He further disclosed that the hospital had been assured of additional equipment, including a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, chemistry analysers and mechanical ventilators, to strengthen diagnostic and critical care services.
Beyond the support from the Fund, the Director called for the conversion of the Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital to improve its access to resources and specialist services.
He said although the hospital functioned effectively as a secondary-level referral centre, it needed to progress to the next level to meet the growing healthcare needs of the region and surrounding areas.
“When resources are being distributed, it is done in a hierarchical manner,” he said, explaining that teaching hospitals often received resources before regional hospitals.
He argued that the debate over establishing a teaching hospital in Bolgatanga should focus on when it would happen rather than where it should be located.
“For me, the question should be when we should have it. And I will say that we should have it now,” he stated.
Dr Tambil further advocated the establishment of a university hospital alongside a teaching hospital to support the work of the Navrongo Health Research Centre and the university’s research activities.
He cited the development of teaching hospitals in Tamale, Cape Coast, Ho and Sunyani as examples of progress that Bolgatanga should not be excluded from and indicated that “The hospital is currently a highly endowed one and converting it is a low hanging fruit.”
“Why should Bolgatanga be left out?” he asked and urged traditional leaders and other stakeholders to support efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the region.
He expressed optimism that the establishment of specialized facilities and the upgrading of the hospital would position it to provide more comprehensive services and improve health outcomes across the region.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Reporter’s email: [email protected]