Bolgatanga, March 10, GNA - Ghana and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signe= d a contract for the commencement of the third phase of the rehabilitation of=

the Bolgatanga Hospital in the Upper East Region. The Saudi Government is to provide 12 million dollars as grant whil= e Ghana would contribute two million dollars towards the execution of the project expected to take four years to complete. As part of the preparations, a technical team made up of architects,=

surveyors and engineers from a Saudi Consultancy firm has arrived in Bolgatanga to hold a stakeholders meeting with the Ministry of Health and=

the Ghana Health Service. DAOVTECH, a Ghanaian consultancy firm will partner Saudi Consultanc= y Service to undertake the project.

Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams, Regional Director of Health Service= s said feasibility studies had been completed and work would soon commence. He expressed dissatisfaction about the first and second phases of th= e project, explaining that following series of meetings held by the stakeholders it is expected that quality work would be done to raise the hospital to a regional hospital status. The Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awini entreated the consulta= nts to do effective supervision and monitoring to ensure that the contractors=

executed good job.

She expressed optimism that after the completion of the project the hospital would serve as one of the first class institutions in the countr= y. The External Co-ordinator of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Dr. Jennife= r Brown Aryee said the two countries had committed themselves to the projec= t with the view of entering into other areas of development. The Principal Architect of Saudi Consultancy firm, Mr. Ashraf Hassan assured the MOH that his outfit was burnt on delivering quality services to enable it establish good and harmonious relationship with Ghana. He said about 240 beds would be attached to the health facility while=

additional surgical, maternity and children's wards would be provided.