Mr. Alban Sumana Bagbin, Minister of Health, on Tuesday announced that government is to import Digital X-ray Units for 23 district hospitals this year.

He made this known when he inaugurated Axim Hospital Accident and Emergency Centre and the Ewuku Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHIPS) Compound, rehabilitated by Kosmos Energy, Ghana at Axim.

Mr. Bagbin said five district hospitals in the Western Region would benefit from the X-ray units under the Hospital Radiography Replacement Project.

He said 161 well-equipped state- of- the- art ambulances estimated at 10 million Euros would be brought into the country this year for distribution to hospitals including district hospitals.

Mr. Bagbin said facilities on the ambulance included blood bank, fridge for drugs and medicines and oxygen equipment to enable patients to be treated on board.

He said each ambulance would be manned by not less than six Para- medical personnel and paramedics.

Mr. Bagbin said more than $267 million worth of medical equipment, 20 mobile clinics and related services would also be brought in this year under the National Medical Equipment Replacement Project.

He said the project is for the replacement of obsolete medical equipment across the national network of hospitals and more importantly, to build the capacity of management as well as maintenance of health technology.

Mr. Bagbin said about $26 million worth of equipment and services would be devoted to the Region.

The Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital would receive state- of- the- art equipment including ultrasound scanner, six-bed adult intensive care unit and a dental unit.

He said labour ward and outpatient department equipment would be supplied to the Bibiani, Dixcove, Enchi, Essikado, Half Assini, Kwesimintsim, Sefwi Wiawso, Saint Martin de porres and Takoradi hospitals.

Mr. Bagbin, said the Shama Health Centre would be ungraded to Polyclinic status whilst the Takoradi Hospital would be rehabilitated and equipped.

Mr. George Sarpong, Director of Corporate Affairs of Kosmos Energy, Ghana, said the accident and emergency centre was an old and abandoned chest centre.

He said a new walkway and paved driveway linking the centre to the main hospital has been added to ensure easy access for patients and ambulance vehicles.**