Accra, Nov. 29, GNA - A report of the Finance Committee on a grant and a loan totalling 17 million Euros to finance the construction of the Gushiegu District Hospital project was adopted by Parliament on Tuesday. The Buyer Credit Facility agreement between Ghana and the Fortis Bank of the Netherlands is for an amount of 10.2 million Euros and a grant of 6.97 million Euros from the ORET Grant Offer would go into the construction of the 60-bed hospital at Gushiegu.

Presenting the report, Mr. Kwadwo Agyei-Addo, Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee said the credit would be used to install new facilities for laboratories, radiology and blood bank in addition to providing diagnostic facilities in the fields of gynaecology, ophthalmology and paediatrics as well as those of in-patient care. He said two detached medical officer's flats and 16 nurses quarters would be constructed to accommodate the medical personnel, adding that the project would reduce poverty by improving essential health care in the Gushiegu area and the country as a whole.

Mr. Agyei-Addo observed that the proposed district hospital when completed would provide health care for approximately 135,000 people such as improvement of medical service delivery and reduction of infant mortality through better pre-natal care.

In addition, it would provide increased access basic health, early diagnosis and successful treatment of diseases such as guinea worm. The loan as a repayment period of 10 years and grace period of 2.5 years and an interest rate of 2.64 per cent per annum. Earlier, the House also adopted the report of the Finance Committee on the request for tax and duty exemptions on vehicles, machinery and office equipment totalling 1,104,105 US dollars for the Rural Enterprise Project Phase Two (REP-II).