Tema, May 29, GNA - The Ministry of Health has formulated a policy to upgrade 57 District Hospitals through the replacement of obsolete medical equipment with modern ones, Major Courage Quarshigah (Rtd), Minister of Health (MOH) announced on Thursday. In line to that, the Ministry has received a total consignment of medical equipment worth 10 million euros from the Spanish Government to implement the programme.

Major Quarshigah, who inspected 30 percent of the consignment at the Central Medical Stores in Tema on Thursday, said the Ministry had already received 70 percent of the equipment of which installation had started in some hospitals.

He explained that 35 percent of the facility was grant whilst the remaining 65 percent was loan payable within 30 years with one and a half percentage interest.

Giving details of the consignment, Dr Nicodamus Gebe, Project Manager noted that the project has been divided into three components to meet specific needs of the beneficiary hospitals.

Dr Gebe said under the first component, the Tamale Teaching Hospital has received 1.7 million euros worth of equipment noting that the hospital has not received any medical help over the past 12 years. The equipment are a KVA generator, digital imaging equipment, blood bank fridges, delivery suit equipment and tertiary operating theatre, neo-natal intensive care unit equipment, recovery and sterilization equipment and 40 hospital beds.

He further said the Efia Nkwanta District Hospital in Takoradi also received similar equipment worth 900,000 euros under the first component observing that their packaged is aimed at reducing infant child mortality and other pregnancy complications. Under the second component, Dr Gebe who doubles as the Deputy Head of the Biomedical Engineering Unit of the MOH indicated that, 33 hospitals would receive piped medical gas package.

He said out of the 33, Tamale Teaching Hospital and the Plastic Surgery Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital would also receive a package each based on special request.

The Project Manager explained that the piped medical gas package would replace the current system of using gas cylinders in the theatre rooms noting that, the current system increases infections as the cylinders are moved from one theatre to the other.

Under the third component, Dr Gebe said clinics that were upgraded to the status of District Hospitals would be provided with mortuary and laundry equipment, operating theatres and maternity equipment adding that, the installation of the mortuary equipment had already started at the Battor District Hospital in the Volta Region.

On the issue of training of medical staffs to man the equipment, Dr Polycarp Asman, Project Coordinator noted that, training would begin in September this year when all the installation were completed adding, however, that part of the training would be done in Ghana and others in Spain.

The Sector Minister was accompanied by Madam Julia Olmo, Spanish Ambassador to Ghana and Mr Francis Tsigah, Ghana's Ambassador to Spain.