President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, cut the sod for the construction and equipping of a 12 storey 400 bed Maternity and Gynaecological Centre, and a 2-storey 101 bed Urology and Nephrology Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

It will be recalled that, on December 6, 2018, during his visit to Korle Bu, where he commissioned the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre for the Hospital, the President was struck by the poor state of the Maternity Block.

“I promised to remedy the situation, as the current state of the building is not fit for purpose. Today’s ceremony is a fulfillment of the pledge I made,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo noted that the commencement of work on these two projects, in addition to the re-activation of construction work on the abandoned 750 bed Maternity and Children’s Block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, will significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the country.

This, he explained, are further testimony to the commitment of Government to improve Ghana’s country’s healthcare infrastructure, and move the country steadily towards the goal of achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage for all.

Once completed, the 400-bed Maternity Block facility, President Akufo-Addo, said, “will contribute to addressing the persistent challenges of high maternal and child health morbidity and mortality in Ghana. It will also accelerate our progress towards the achievement of the SDGs through enhanced access to quality maternal and child health services.”

To this end, the government has secured an amount of one hundred and forty-five million, two hundred and twenty thousand euros (€145,220,000) from Standard Chartered Bank to cover the cost of the project, with an export credit guarantee from Swedish Export Credit towards the reconstruction of the maternity block.

Additionally, the Project has an insurance cover of some nineteen million euros (€18,973,024.85), and it is to be constructed through a joint venture entity known as HEDEBI JV. The partners of this group are Rizzani DE ECCHER, Bergam, and Hospital Engineering Ltd.

Once completed, the 12-storey maternity block will have a four hundred (400) bed capacity; twenty (20) labour delivery rooms; one hundred (100) seater waiting area; twenty-six (26) recovery wards; eighteen (18) treatment rooms; twenty-four (24) consulting rooms; seven (7) theatres; IVF services; ten (10) room accommodation for new mothers; thirty-two (32) seater restaurant, with a preparation area; and an emergency unit with its own triage and operating theatre.

Indeed, once completed, the Centre will be the first public facility to deliver IVF services in the Country.

Urology and Nephrology Centre

Cutting the sod for the construction of the €38 million Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence, also at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, President Akufo-Addo stated that the project is being funded by Raiffessen Bank International AG Ltd of Austria, with OeKB Group, also from Austria, providing insurance cover of €4,666,950.

Once completed, it will offer advanced treatment for persons with genito-urinary conditions, chronic and acute kidney failures, as well as nephrology services such as kidney transplants.

“The two (2) storey Urology and Nephrology Centre will have a thirty-one (31) suite dialysis station for persons with kidney disorders, and seventy (70) beds for genito-urinary patients. The Centre will also provide out-patient services, and serve as a resource base to conduct research into urology and nephrology cases,” he said.

The President was confident that the construction of these facilities at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital will put Korle Bu “in a strong position to give meaning to medical tourism services to neighbouring countries, thereby increasing its revenue base to expand services”.