UG Medical School Inaugurated
The first phase of the University of Ghana (UG) Medical Centre, a world-class hospital with specialised services, has been officially opened by President John Mahama in a short ceremony in Accra before he left office.
The ultra-modern 617 bed facility hospital, constructed with a $217m loan from Israel, comprises of seven buildings offering different specialised health services linking together bridges to maximise the co-ordination of activities.
The medical centre which is the first of its kind in West Africa will be a referral centre for tertiary and regional hospitals and provide specialised services for accidents and emergency, imaging, obstetrics & gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, among others.
It also has a walk-in facility for patients who are desirous of specialist care. The centre will add to the teaching facility of the University of Ghana Medical School offering students the state-of-the-art facility for health professionals.
Officially opening the facility, ex-President Mahama mentioned that the completion of the first phase of the project reflects a milestone in the country’s quest for quality healthcare service delivery.
He said the second phase of the project would include securing budget for salaries of staff of the hospital in the first five years and utilities such as water and waste management, as well as the cost of the construction.
Mr Mahama said it is his hope that the new government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would pay personal interest and continue the work done at the centre to make the project fully operational in the shortest possible time.
He said after five years, the hospital should be able to raise enough revenue to exist on its own as an independent autonomous centre.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the impact of this health facility in healthcare delivery and the training of healthcare professional in this country is going to be enormous,” he said.
Prof Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, in a statement stated that the coming on board of the new medical centre with the state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, service and research at a specialist level would provide a platform for enhancing not only the collective output of the College of Health Sciences, but also health service delivery in the country.
He said as part of the loan package, about 71 medical personnel had received short-term training at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel in preparation for the commencement of operations of the hospital.
The vice chancellor, however, added that the progress, notwithstanding, there are a few issues that need government’s prompt attention, including the approval of request for financial clearance by the Ministry of Finance for recruitment of staff, approval of cabinet memo for phase two, approval of the 2017 budget for the UGMC and the approval of seed capital for purchase of drug and non-drug consumables.
“We are extremely hopeful Your Excellency, that these issues will receive prompt attention so this magnificent hospital can commence its operations without further delay,” Prof Owusu said.
The phase one of the medical centre is about 98 percent complete.
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