General News of Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Phase two of UGMC to be completed within 18 months – IMC Chairperson

Chairperson of the Interim Management Committee of the Centre, Dr. Asamoah Baah play videoChairperson of the Interim Management Committee of the Centre, Dr. Asamoah Baah

Phase two of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) project is expected to be completed within 18 months, with an additional 6-month period estimated to ensure that the centre is fully operational.

The second phase of the UGMC project will equip the hospital with facilities such as a VIP maternity and private floor, cardio-vascular and open-heart surgery unit as well as a neurosurgery unit.

A 47 million Euro loan for its completion was recently approved by Parliament.

Addressing the media at the opening of the UGMC, Chairperson of the Interim Management Committee of the Centre, Dr. Asamoah Baah asserted that the entire facility will be fully operational after 24 months.

“Phase two, we are hoping to kick-start in the next few months. It will take us about 18 months to finish phase two and maybe another 6 months to make sure that it is fully operational,”



He added that: “there are going to be extra facilities that may be required but those will kick in when we get there. We believe that what we have planned for phase two will be enough to get us going. Already, what we have in phase one is more sophisticated than most facilities in the country.”



The UGMC commenced operations today, July 18, 2018, receiving referral patients at the Out-Patient Department OPD from other satellite health facilities.

The first phase of the University of Ghana Medical Centre was commissioned in 2016 during the Mahama administration and scheduled to open in November 2017 but was closed for several months due to what became a turf war between government and officials of the University of Ghana.



The current structure will be managed by the Interim Committee of ten members which includes management of the University of Ghana and some officials of the Ministry of Health.