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Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice president, has urged hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the nation to work with the private sector to provide and maintain necessary equipment so that the institutions can serve patients with the best care possible.
Although government continues to invest heavily in the health sector with unprecedented recruitment of health personnel, the provision of infrastructure such as the Agenda 111 projects, and the introduction of medical drone delivery services, Dr. Bawumia called for hospital managements to explore other options because the cost of providing some cutting-edge equipment cannot always be borne by government.
When he opened a catheterization laboratory at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nation’s top medical facility, the Vice President appealed for this collaboration. The Bank of Ghana purchased and funded the $1 million lab as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. It is the most sophisticated cath lab in the nation and includes the Big Detector, dyna CT, roadmap software, and 3D workstation needed to achieve accurate and effective minimally invasive treatments.
According to representatives of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana is currently the only nation in the West African region to provide cutting-edge minimally invasive endovascular treatments (brain surgeries performed without cutting the skull), and the purchase of this Lab is anticipated to decrease the number of patients who are sent abroad for additional testing and treatment.
Vice President Bawumia emphasized the significance of cutting-edge, contemporary technology in the provision of high-quality healthcare while acknowledging the difficulty of the government in meeting all the demands of the hundreds of healthcare facilities throughout the nation on its own. He urged the management of these facilities to be proactive and involve all stakeholders.
“A Catherization Lab is a valuable asset for any country, and a good addition to the overall healthcare infrastructure of Ghana. By investing in such advanced medical facilities, Ghana can attract and retain skilled medical professionals, improve the training of local doctors and enhance the quality of care provided to patients…
“I should note that the need for critical medical equipment is huge across all our hospitals. However, we don’t have many Bank of Ghanas around to finance the procurement of all the needed equipment. It is therefore important that going forward, hospitals should consider partnering with the private sector who would be willing to provide and maintain such equipment for a service fee in the context of a private-public partnership.
“I believe that with the right policies Ghana can have a first class health delivery system. It is possible” he declared.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
