Accra, May 27, GNA - A nine-member Board of Directors of 37th Military Hospital was on Wednesday inaugurated with a call on them to ensure that the hospital became autonomous.

It was also tasked to ensure that funding and health care financing was a precursor to solving the myriad constraints facing the hospital. Inaugurating the Board, Major-General Peter Blay, Chief of Defence Staff said the hospital had for sometime faced with numerous challenges leaving in its wake a hospital with glorious past now barely able to discharge its functions.

The Board will provide policy guidelines, supervise the needed organizational and management changes and supervise the hospital's sustained, improved health service delivery. The Board chaired by Real Admiral Quashie, Chief of Naval Staff has Brigadier General Ayeetey, Brigadier General Quist, Air Commodore Pumpuni(Rtd), Lieutenant Colonel V. Otoo, Dr E.A. Graham, Dr Kofi Ahmed, Former Chief Medical Advisor to the Ministry of Health and Mr Benjamin Botwe of the Ministry of Health.

It was charged broadly to co-ordinate, monitor and promote activities of the hospital.

The Board would monitor the professional, technical and administrative matters affecting the hospital, embark on periodic inspection of hospital facilities to ensure an efficient maintenance culture.

Major-General Blay enumerating the problems facing the hospital mentioned inadequate financing and budgetary support, an over-burdened internally generated fund, care for retired military personnel and their families.

Others are, the sensitive issue of staff emoluments and hospital rehabilitation programme, indiscipline and abuse of the system and the hospital's role as the United Nations Level III and IV medical Facility. The Chief of Defence Staff urged the Board to focus its attention particularly on restructuring the hospital and addressing the human-centred problems of morale and motivation.

He reiterated his fullest confidence in the ability of the Board and urged all members to work tirelessly as a team to discharge onerously their responsibilities.

Major-General Blay appealed to all staff, client, government and the public to lend their support to the Board materially and morally to turn around fortunes of the hospital into a first class modern multi-functional hospital that would serve its clients within the shortest possible time.

Real Admiral Quashie pledged the Board's loyalty, distinguished service and called for the cooperation of hospital staff to help turn round its fortunes.