Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Professor Otu Nartey, has called on the staff and Management of the hospital to change their attitude to meet the massive retooling exercise underway in the hospital to improve upon its delivery.

Addressing the staff at a mid-year review workshop organised at the hospital, Prof Nartey congratulated the staff for helping the hospital execute some plans of the hospital in spite of the numerous challenges it faces.

“From last year through to this year, the hospital administration in conjunction with the government and other organisations has successfully embarked on several multi-million projects at a total cost of US$ 100 million,” he added.

He noted that government is investing part of a US$267 million fund in a project known as “National Medical Equipment Replacement Project” for the retooling of public hospitals across the country.

He continued that under this fund, government is investing in both infrastructure facilities and equipments revealing that Belstar development limited, a construction company, is undertaking all the rehabilitation and constructional works.

Also an amount of US$6.5 million has been injected by the Ministry of Health (MOH) into the purchase of theatre equipment.

Four million dollars (US$4 million) of this went into the acquisition of anaesthesia machines, ventilators, operating theatre table, patient monitors and suction machines among others.

The remaining two million (US$2 million) has been invested in the acquisition of the new oxygen plant which is currently being installed by the suppliers. Also, a new eye centre that would be dedicated to the provision of specialist eye care and training of personnel is being constructed at the cost of 3.5 million.

This edifice, when completed, will attend to all eye diseases, treatment and training of eye specialists for the country and West Africa at large.

Construction work on this centre which begun about three months ago is expected to be completed within a year, Prof. Out Nartey revealed.

The CEO also stated that a fibre-optic cable has been laid in the hospital to facilitate the introduction of a paperless patient record service in Korle-Bu. In this direction, the hospital has signed a memorandum of understanding for assistance from the India Government to craft appropriate hospital information management software for the hospital; which is expected to cost an amount of two million dollars (US$ 2 million).

Adding that it is crucial to mention that renovation works at the OPD and 4th Floor of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department is also on-going and will soon be completed.

The construction of the new offices for the National Blood Transfusion Service near the Ghana Commercial bank by Burrock Ventures, is also a project mentioned. This edifice will be a two-storey block with an Administration, laboratories and storage rooms and it is expected to be completed by 2013.**