Asantehene pleads for completion of 44-year maternal block

Kumasi, Jan 19, – The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for the government to take urgent steps to complete the 995-bed Maternal and Child Health block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), construction works on which started 44 years ago.

         

He said the project could no longer continue to wait and that everything should be done to finish it.

         

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this in a speech read for him at the inauguration of a US$10 million state-of-the-art Maternal and Babies Unit (MBU) complex built for the referral hospital.

         

The world-class facility comes with a maternity, neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit, nine birthing beds, three operating theatres and 130 baby cots.

         

Added to these are 15 incubators, two infant ventilators, 11 paediatric beds, filtered fresh air and independent post-delivery and post-operatory.

         

The First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, was instrumental in the construction of the project.

         

She led the effort following a documentary by the Multimedia Group, putting the spotlight on avoidable deaths of mothers and their babies at the referral facility caused by combined factors of congestion and limited equipment.

         

The documentary stirred the emotion and conscience of the nation.

          

The project, completed in a record time of five months, has been designated by the World Bank as a “green building” due to the quality, sustainable materials and building techniques used.

         

Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed concern that KATH, the nation’s second largest referral facility, providing care for patients not only the Northern sector of the country but other neighbouring countries had not seen any major expansion since its establishment in 1955.

         

The net result has been severe congestion, something unhelpful to quality health care delivery.

         

The Asantehene applauded the First Lady for the leadership she provided and also said thank you to all other individuals and corporate Ghana for the facility.

                  

Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, underlined the need for a strict maintenance regime to keep the place and equipment in good condition at all times.

         

Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said they were grateful to Mrs. Akufo-Addo and Multimedia Group for the project, adding that, it had come to ease pressure at the MBU.

GNA