Accra, Dec 14, GNA - A seven-million dollar fund to establish a National Urology Centre was on Friday launched in Accra with a call on Ghanaians to support the work to help alleviate the pain and suffering of the people.

The centre would also be in memory of Professor J.M.K Quartey, Dr Isaac Bentsi and Dr Benjamin Osei-Wiafe all of them urologists who died in a motor accident while on duty in August 2005. The Centre to be sited between the Korle-Bu Polyclinic and the Fevers Unit would offer urology service, train health personnel as well as serve as a research centre would take three years to be built. Dr. (Mrs) Gladys Ashitey, Deputy Minister of Health who unveiled the model (Centre) bemoaned the current situation where less than 15 urologists were serving a country of over 20 million people. She said, "clinical urology problems would continue to rise. It is therefore important for us to make extraordinary efforts to deal with the present inadequacies and anticipate the future".

Dr Ashitey said such a centre should be able to provide early diagnosis and treatment, effective operative surgical services and delivering a comprehensive range of established treatment options. She also pledged the government's support to the centre and proposed the establishment of an Association of Urological Surgeons that would have a common voice, share the burden and facilities and support the research movement in urology in Ghana.

Dr Benjamin Annan, Acting Chief Executive of the Hospital expressed the hope that the work would start in six months time. He said with initial seed money of about 400 million cedis, something could be started soon and called upon corporate bodies to donate towards the project.

Professor Edward Donkor Yeboah, President of West Africa College of Health Scientists said the urology unit currently situated at the surgical department of the hospital was in bad shape with only one major and minor theatres.

Out of 1500 to 2000 new cases reported each year, over 200 to 250 major elective were cancelled while only three to five major elective cases and 10 to 20 minor elective cases were operated upon per week. He therefore stressed the need for all to support in the establishment of the Centre to save the many men who keep suffering from prostate problem, erectile dysfunction, impotence, male infertility and other cancers.