Koforidua, April 23, GNA - The Koforidua Regional Hospital has put in measurers to reduce the time spent patients spend at the Out-Patient Department (OPD).

Under the programme, each department of the hospital is to ens= ure the presence of a medical officer at the OPD by 0900 while specialists an= d other medical officers conduct ward rounds before reporting at the OPD. Dr Frimpong Boateng, the Head of the OPD Department, said this at th= e first quarter performance review meeting of the hospital in Koforidua on Thursday. He said the hospital would build a surgical and trauma centre with a=

theatre, nurses and doctors changing rooms and an ambulance bay near the OPD to help reduce the time for transfer of patients who need emergency care from the OPD to the surgical theatre.

Dr Boateng said management should sanction any hospital staff identifi= ed to be engaged in the collection of illegal fees from patients to serve as= a deterrent to others.

Dr Foster Amponsah Menu, the Head of the Surgical Department, said th= e department had been able to reduce the average numbers of days patients spend at the surgical ward from 13 days in 2008 to six days presently. He said the department now offered urological services.