By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah
Kumasi, Nov. 03, GNA – The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will on Friday November 10, this year, launch a project to mobilize funds to renovate and rehabilitate the old ‘GEE’ blocks of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
The ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ project, is being spearheaded by the Asantehene to raise funds from individuals and corporate organizations to undertake massive renovation of the main wards of the hospital which had not seen any major rehabilitation since they were constructed in 1954.
The objective of the $10 million project, is to bring the wards to standards comparable to any other leading teaching hospital in the world.
Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive of KATH, told editors and senior journalists in Kumasi that the project was an initiative of Otumfuo Osei Tutu, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of his ascension to the Golden Stool.
He said the current sordid state of the wards compounded by massive leakages, hanging cables, lose and falling plumbing pipes and peeling floors, made it imperative for a major renovation to bring comfort to both patients and staff of the only referral facility in the middle and northern parts of the country.
Prof. Addai-Mensah pointed out that, KATH served 12 regions of the country and other neighboring West African countries.
He said management was committed to ensuring that the facility reached standards which would be the first choice of every patient.
Mr Kojo Darko-Asante, Ashanti Regional Engineer of the Public Works Department, Lead Architects of the project, said the deterioration of the blocks were massive that, they needed total renovation and furnishing.
He said the wards lacked fire detection and fighting devices, sewerage water treatment systems not functional, no lightening protection systems to protect sensitive machines and equipment and peeling floor tiles.
Mr Darko-Asante said the emphasis of the project was to provide comfortable and convenient places for patients to ensure early recovery.
Mr Samuel Adu Boakye, Chairman of the ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ project committee, said beyond the King’s equity contributions to the project, the committee would rely on individuals and corporate contributions both home and abroad to fund the project.
He said if about one million Ghanaians were prepared to contribute GHc 100.00 cedis each towards the project, it would be completed in no time.
GNA