The facility would diagnose and treat heart patients from the West African Sub-region and train more cardiology staff in the same region on the handling of the equipment and heart conditions.

After inspecting the installation at the centre, President Mahama promised that he would take it as a special project to mobilise resources for the development of the centre even when he leaves office. He said he was moved to acquire the equipment for the Centre when he once visited a minister of state who was admitted at the Centre, but had to be referred to a medical centre in the United Kingdom because the machine was not working.

President Mahama said his support to the Centre after leaving office would be focused on constructing a new cardiothoracic centre as the existing one was virtually becoming smaller for the growing number of heart patients in the country and beyond.

Dr Lawrence Siriboe, the Head of the Centre, commended President Mahama for fulfilling his promise to replace the antiquated equipment before leaving office. He said the machine would serve as a life-saving one in the coming years and called on the public not to hesitate to know their status as that could help in keeping them abreast of their health needs.