President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut sod for the construction of a 100-bed capacity District Hospital at Shama in the Western Region.
The project costs €32 million and has a credit guarantee from Sinosure China and an insurance cover of €1,960,812.28.
The 100-bed hospital will be a two-storey structure and will have an accommodation for staff, an accident and emergency unit; out-patient department with consulting rooms and a physiotherapy unit.
It will also have a dental, ophtalmology and ear, nose and throat treatments unit, in-patient wards for males, females and paediatrics; maternity ward with a well-designed neo-natal intensive care Unit (NICU); three theatres for general cases, obstetrics and emergencies.
The Shama District Hospital will also come with a theatre with a 6-bed intensive care unit and a recovery ward; pharmacy and laboratory with the requisite equipment for effective diagnosis and analysis; diagnostic services to include a CT scan; public health department.
“There will be a hospital administration; kitchen, laundry, CSSD, maintenance and a logistics building; mortuary; offices for the district director and the health management team; meeting rooms; library; stores; and public health spaces”.
Acting President of the Shama Traditional Council Nana Kwamina Wienu heaped praises on President Akufo-Addo and his government for making the hospital project a reality, stressing that “it has been a dream come true as we have been waiting for more than a decade to see this day”.
Addressing a gathering of Chiefs and people of Shama before cutting sod for work to commence on the project, President Akufo-Addo said funds for the project has already been secured and expects work to commence as soon as practicable.
“Once completed, the facility will contribute to addressing the persistent challenges of high maternal and child health morbidity and mortality in our country. It will also accelerate our progress towards the achievement of the SDGs through enhanced access to quality maternal and child health services.”
He indicated that the project components include two-year post warranty maintenance; training on medical equipment and new technologies introduced; provision of seed capital to provide 6-month stock of hospital consumables; provision of a utility truck and an ambulance for hospital operations; and provision of ICT facilities to include the relevant software towards achieving a paper-light records management.
He urged all partners, with a stake in the construction of the project, to work assiduously, and ensure that the project is delivered on time and on budget.
The district hospital will be constructed by Poly Changda, which has extensive experience in China and other parts of Africa in the construction of healthcare facilities.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana