DrTampuori, who was speaking at the centre’s fundraising meeting and press launch in Accra yesterday, noted that equipping the centre would transform the Ho Teaching Hospital into a medical tourist centre in the Volta Region.

The meeting and press launch was on the theme “Save a Life, Save a Heart Fundraising Project” launched in June last year to equip the centre and improve general healthcare delivery.

He said centres of such magnitude could manage both lungs and heart diseases and become a reference centre for patients suffering from various cardiovascular issues across and beyond the country, adding that “a fully functional and well-resourced centre would enable the hospital offer world-class services to its numerous clients.”

DrTampuori also said the centre, when equipped, would not only serve the indigenes of Ho, but those in the Oti Region, Eastern Region, Togo, Benin and some parts of Nigeria.

Head of the Cardiothoracic Centre, Prof. Frank Edwin, expressed concern about how all surgical cases were referred to the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, due to the lack of surgical space and equipment at other healthcare facilities.                                     

For that reason, he said there was the pressing need for funds to be raised to equip the centre to improve healthcare delivery, save lives and prevent patients with surgical cases from travelling miles to Accra to get their surgeries done.

 Prof. Edwin, who was optimistic of the project being achieved in a year’s time, encouraged Ghanaians to support in the fundraising project to enhance activities of the cardiothoracic centre.

Director-General, Administration, Ministry of Health, HamiduAdakurugu,  in his remarks said the ministry was doing its best to support the Ho project to make the vision of “Save a Life, Save a Heart Fundraising Project” come to light.

He appealed to both public and private institutions, the international community and the general public to contribute their quota for the equipping of the Ho Cardiothoracic Centre.

Mr Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) of the North Tongu Constituency, urged the government to build at least one cardiothoracic centre in every region, to ease the burden on the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the mortality rates in the country.

“People should support the project because we all need it, when it comes to life nothing is important than it,” he added.