The cost of the refurbishment was placed at GHC450,000.00, of which the GCB Bank donated the “seed money”, with the Orthopaedic Department topping it up with funds from its Internally Generated Funds (IGF).

The Ward ‘N’, prior to its refurbishment, was in a very deplorable state, but it took the efforts of Ms Antoinette Ama Dela and Nii Odartei Ashong-Lamptey, then medical students, to write a proposal to the GCB Bank to secure the support.

Dr Fredrick Kwarteng, the Head of Department of the Accident and Orthopaedics of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, at the commissioning of the facility on Tuesday, said the refurbishment was an essential component of the drive to reposition the KBTH as a hub for medical tourism in the West African Sub-region and globally.

The unique facility he said, would not only enhance the quality of clinical care for female orthopaedic and trauma patients, but would also provide a serene environment for both the staff to excellently function, and for the training of both medical students and post graduate doctors.

Dr Kwarteng said the facility, would also help boost the revenue base of the Department to the Hospital. He thanked the GCB Bank for its collaboration and the two doctors for their initiatives, saying their act of concern for humanity that had yielded such dividend, would go a long way to enhance the quality of health care in the hospital.

Mr Ray Anselm Sowah, the Managing Director of GCB Bank, expressed his gratitude to the Management of the KBTH for giving them the opportunity of the partnership to improve conditions at such a unique facility.“I am told the last time this Ward saw any renovation was some 15 years ago”, he said.

Mr Sowah said the Bank was particularly moved by the medical students, who brought the attention for the urgent need to renovate, and recognising the importance of excellent health care delivery to national development, as well as the role of the Hospital as a training institution for medical and post-graduate physicians, it readily accepted the challenge to support the worthy cause.

“For us at the GCB Bank, the provision of sustainable health care to society forms a part of our Social Responsibility and we remain committed to this cause.  Dr Felix Kwaku Anyah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, commended the Bank for the collaboration, and explained that the transformation of the Orthopaedic facility has placed Ghana in a better position to provide excellent medical care at a relatively reduced costs for patients from all over the world.

He said presently, most of the disease pattern globally, was influenced by human lifestyles and attitudes, citing obesity, diabetes and road traffic accidents, as some of the many orthopaedic problems the facility has to deal with on daily bases.

Dr Anyah said the Orthopaedic Department at the KBTH now has the best in all areas of human resources and equipment to manage any form of related problems, which hitherto should have been referred to other facilities outside the country for treatment.   He appealed to other corporate institutions to come to the aid of the Hospital and collaborate as well in the gradual transformation of its infrastructure into an excellent standard, and to realise the vision of repositioning the KBTH as a hub of medical tourism in West Africa.