University Of Ghana Teaching Hospital To Commence Operations In September

Project Coordinator and Interim CEO of the University Of Ghana Teaching Hospital, Professor Aaron Nii Lante Lawson has disclosed that the Legon Teaching Hospital will be completed in September this year. This comes after the contractors failed to meet the December 2015 deadline. He revealed this to Univers news on the sidelines of a working visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to the site on Friday June 17, 2016.

The visit afforded the lawmakers the opportunity to assess the progress of work, interact with the Project Coordinator as well as seek clarification on issues including power supply to the facility, training of medical personnel, recruitment process, and management of the facilities among others.

Addressing some of the concerns raised by the parliamentary select committee on health, Professor Lawson said a 2,500 megawatt standby by generator has been procured to forestall any power fluctuations when the facility starts full operation. He also assured the select committee on health of an impartial recruitment process that will be based on competence and commitment to work.

Citing some of the challenges encountered by the contractors and consultants on the project, Prof. Lawson said the inability of the state to grant tax exemptions on the procurement of materials had increased the cost of procuring the requisite materials but received assurance from the Committee to do something about it.

The Interim CEO told the committee measures will be put in place to curb the recurrent strike action that has characterized the health sector.

 “We are going to put a clause in the appointment letters of all health professionals we employ not to embark on any form of strike even if their various national association have done so.”

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health

Meanwhile Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Hon. Joseph Yieleh Chireh expressed satisfaction on the progress of work in spite of the delay which was due to funding. Hon. Chireh also said he was impressed about the commitment of the University of Ghana council in seeing to the success of the project.

The $217 million facility is expected to provide cutting-edge medical training for about 1,000 medical doctors to improve the current doctor-to-patient ratio and serve as a research Centre for various health professionals including students. Built with a loan facility from the Israeli government, the hospital is the first of its kind in the West African sub-region and will help improve the delivery of health in the country and the sub-region.

By: Emmanuel Dzivenu/ Radio Univers 105.7MHz