Ho, (Volta Region) 5 Jan. '99,

The new Volta Regional Hospital at Ho will start providing limited specialised services in the third week of January this year. The referral hospital will, however, need about 1.5 billion cedis to become fully operational. Dr Frank Nyonator, Volta Regional Director of Health Services, made this known when he conducted Mr Kofi Attor, Member of Parliament for Ho Central, round the various units of the hospital today. Dr Nyonator said the health administration has so far identified 135 out of 539 staff needed to support the hospital's operations. He advised the public not to make the hospital the first point of call but to use the district and the old hospital. Dr Nyonator said one major problem that needs urgent attention is the provision of staff quarters and therefore appealed to both the regional co-ordinating council and Members of Parliament from the region to explore ways of addressing the problem. Mr Attor said the completion of the new hospital to conform to international standards is in fulfilment of government's promise to the region. He said the hospital should be adopted as a regional asset to which every citizen must make a positive contribution, and suggested that people should come forward with new ideas to raise funds for its maintenance. The hospital was constructed and equipped at a cost of 28.4 million pounds sterling. GRi