Mampong (E/R), Feb. 12, GNA - Dr. Emmanuel Adom Winful, President of Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has appealed to the management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to urgently take steps to refurbish the hospital. He said all facilities and equipment had broken down and the wards in deplorable conditions putting serious constraints on health care delivery to patients.

Dr. Winful, who is also Medical Practitioner at Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital said "Everything about this hospital is virtually run down, our wards are down, we do not have water, our sterilization unit is down, our laundry is down, our kitchen is barely functioning, equipment have all broken down, we also need to paint the structure".

He made the appeal during the presentation of cocoa products and insecticide treated nets by the management of COCOBOD to the Children's Ward of the hospital at Mampong Akwapim in the Eastern Region on Friday. Dr Yaw Adu Ampomah, Deputy Chief Executive in-charge of Agronomy and Quality Control of COCOBOD, led a delegation to make the presentation in commemoration of the National Chocolate Day, set aside to encourage the consumption of cocoa products for healthy living.

February 14 has been designated National Chocolate Day. Dr Winful said the situation had compelled the management to discharge especially nursing mothers from the children's ward immediately after delivery to ensure that there was space at the ward for others. He said the virtual collapse of the entire facility was also causing high attrition rate among health workers at the hospital as most of them just abandoned their posts within at most two months upon reporting. The hospital constructed by the management of COCOBOD in 1960 and later handed over to government, was last refurbished in 1998. Dr Winful describe the hospital as a forgotten and abandoned facility despite its contributions to keep a large chunk of the populace in good health.

He said the hospital would receive the cocoa products but urged management of COCOBOD to move beyond the annual cocoa products presentation and find solution to the problems bedevilling the hospital, which was built in honour of the man who brought cocoa to the country. Dr. Adu Ampomah said management of COCOBOD was aware of the conditions at the hospital adding that its choice of the facility to celebrate the Day was to assure management and staff of its commitment to help solve the problems.

He said initially the management of COCOBOD would work to restore water supply to the hospital to facilitate its activities, a team would be sent to the hospital to critically assess the condition to tackle the priority areas.

Dr. Ampomah said: "This is because we have a lot of projects being undertaken for the nation's development and had put constraints on the company's budget and we can only undertake a specific project at a time. We have not forgotten you," he said.

He commended management and staff of the hospital for their commitment to duty despite the poor conditions and urged them to maintain the standard. Dr. Ampomah called on the public to continue to consume cocoa products to stay healthy. 12 Feb. 10