EFFIA NKWANTA HOSPITAL TO BE MODERNISED (PAGE 22)

THE Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Takoradi has a strategic plan to grow to become a state-of-the-art teaching hospital, the Medical Director of the facility, Dr Paul Kwaw Ntodi, has stated.
He, however, said in order to realise the objective, there was the need to put up a new hospital altogether, which should be located on a better ground with the needed modern infrastructure.
“Effia Nkwanta should have a new hospital,” the medical director stated, adding, “We are aspiring to become a state-of-the-art teaching hospital; this is our vision”.
Dr Ntodi was briefing the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo on the activities and challenges of the hospital, when the latter paid a working visit to the hospital.
The Effia Nkwanta Hospital is located on a hilly ground and patients have to climb over 100 stairs to get to the main hospital. Sometimes some of the patients are found panting when climbing the stairs.
Dr Ntodi noted with regret that a new casualty/emergency block which is about 90 per cent complete is lying idle, even though sensitive hospital equipment had been installed at the block.
He said what was worrying was that the warranty for the equipment might soon expire, adding that about GH¢50,000 would be required to put the structure in shape.
The medical director said the old casualty/emergency block being used was very small and congested while the hospital had no eye care services.
Dr Ntodi said lifts to the patients block had not been working for a year now and that they had been declared not repairable.
He said about 210,000 euros would be needed to replace them, explaining that the amount was beyond the means of the hospital’s internally generated revenue.
Dr Ntodi stated that most of the hospital’s internal roads had developed potholes and therefore appealed to the regional minister to impress upon the Urban Roads Department to assist the hospital in repairing them.
He said security in and around the hospital was not the best and called for improvement.
According to the medical director, the hospital needed more accommodation for doctors in order to attract more house officers to be trained at the facility.
Dr Ntodi further said the facility needed mothers’ hostel for mothers who travelled from the hinterlands to attend to their sick children.
He said those mothers were compelled to sleep on verandas and sometimes contracted diseases as a result.
According to the medical director, the facility had 570 staff.
Dr Ntodi stated that the 450-bed hospital attended to 130,000 outpatients last year and conducted 18,000 general surgeries and more than 700 caesarian operations.
The Regional Minister, Mr Aidoo stated that even though the hospital lacked so many things, the management was doing very well by rendering quality services to the people.
He said if all the facilities of the hospital were put into shape, there would be no need to refer patients in very critical conditions to other regional hospitals for medical attention.
Mr Aidoo said he would ensure that some of the hospital’s concerns were adressed by the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.