The ultramodern University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) will from November 1 scale up its operations as contractors work earnestly to complete the facility for full operations to begin, management of the facility has revealed.
The facility currently operates three clinics, pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology but authorities say they are now ready to “scale up significantly”.
“All machines are in place. Maintenance agreement have been signed and so we now have maintenance schedules for these delicate machines…We can now safely use these machines,” Head of Customer Relations of the UGMC Barbara Owusu-Meng, said Wednesday.
She indicated that although the facility is a referral one, they will not turn away walk-in patients.
This was when minority members of the select committee on health visited the facility on a fact-finding mission Wednesday.
According to Ms Owusu-Meng, government has released the needed funds for the contractor complete the turnkey project by 2020 when the referral facility is set to begin full operations.
“Monies have been released, he [the contractor] has the funds he needs to be able to continue the work,” she told our correspondent Komla Klutse.
The first phase of the of the 597-bed capacity UGMC was constructed and commissioned in 2016 during the Mahama administration at a cost of $217 million.
However, it was closed for several months in what became a turf war between the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government and officials of University of Ghana.
This resulted in the Ministry of Health issuing a directive for a takeover of the administration of the hospital “in the public interest”.
But officials of the University of Ghana resisted the attempt.
Subsequently, Health Minister Kweku Agyemang Manu said the facility was not ready for use, citing the absence of some facilities including a generator.
Following public protests, the ultra-modern health facility was opened for public use on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 only as a referral centre and has since operated as such.
By 3news.com|Ghana