The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is set to launch on Friday, November 10, 2023 the “Heal Komfo Anokye Hospital Project” to get the 70-year old GEE blocks renovated.
This has become necessary due to the continuous dilapidating conditions of the Blocks of the Hospital which receives patients from 12 out of the 16 regions of the country.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital was constructed in 1954.
As the only major referral Hospital in the region and northern sector of the country, it receives patients from 12 out of the 16 regions.
The 1,200 bed capacity hospital also gets referrals from some neighbouring countries.
Despite the huge contributions of KATH to the health needs of Ghanaians, the Hospital in itself is sick and needs healing hence the Launch of the Heal Komfo Anokye Project by the Asantehene.
Current state of KATH
The blocks, A – D have not seen any major renovation in its 70 years of existence. The roofs leak, leaving in its wake stained and peeled walls inside the wards.
Electrical wires also hung loosely exposing patients and health workers to danger.
The old windows generate heat in the wards which puts patients and health workers in discomfort on a sunny day.
The wards are also breeding grounds for mosquitoes as the nature of the wards makes it impossible to mount mosquitoes nets.
The tiles at the wards are either broken with sharp edges or completely removed
The state of the washrooms are nothing to write home about with the old plumbing works causing leakages.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has no fire fighting system such as hose reels, fire hydrants and sprinklers, no fire detector and no lightening protection system exposing the high capacity machines and equipment used to frequent breakdowns caused by lightening.
Asantehene’s intervention
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in 2024 celebrates his 25th anniversary for ascending the throne as the King of Asante.
To help heal the Hospital of its sick status, an initial assessment of refurbished works to be done on the four blocks popularly called GEE by the Public Works Department will cost $10 million.
Chairman of the Heal Komfo Anokye Hospital Project Committee Sammy Adu Boakye in an interview explained the time was now to get the only referral Hospital in the region to the state-of-the-art status.
“Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is all we have in the region and posterity would not forgive us if we leave it to rot, he said
“If you are not sick and you visit KATH now and you go to the washrooms you will not be comfortable using the place because of the poor conditions there but that is what patients have to use in that vulnerable times of their lives,” he added.
The Heal Komfo Anokye Hospital Project hopes to raise the $10 million dollars to give a total face-lift of all the four GEE Blocks with modern wards, work stations for nurses, and key installations such as fire fighting systems, lightening protection, and a general conducive environment for the provision of quality healthcare for patients and a friendly working environment for staff.
The Asantehene is to spearhead the fundraising exercise with an official launch on Friday, November 10, 2023.
By Beatrice Spio-Garbrah|AkomaFM|Onuaonline.com
