The Kumasi South Hospital at Kyirapatre and Asante-Mampong Government Hospital are to be upgraded as Regional Hospitals.
Professor Kofi Agyeman Badu-Akosah, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said looking at the population of Ashanti region with its strategic location where people from every part of the country can easily reach, the regional hospitals would help to provide adequate health care for the people and reduce the congestion at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Professor Badu-Akosah was addressing the management and staff of the Kumasi South Hospital as part of his tour of health institutions in Ashanti.
He noted that the two health institutions already have the infrastructure and said the Mampong Hospital would handle cases from the northern part of Ashanti including Ejura and parts of the Afram Plains while that of Kumasi would take care of congestion at KATH.
Professor Badu-Akosah stated that a lot is being done by the government to help check the exodus of health personnel from the country and said besides the number of vehicles so far provided for smooth administration and operation by all health institutions, 350 more vehicles would be distributed to senior staff before the end of the year.
He said plans are far advanced for a housing scheme, which would start by next year to enable health workers to feel comfortable and work in the country.
Dr Kofi Asare, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said the uncompleted maternity block of the hospital would be completed by the end of the year to enable the hospital to perform effectively.
He appealed to health workers to be committed to their work and keep proper records of the duties performed especially with the extra duties to avoid complications in computing the allowances.
Dr Frank Abebrese, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, appealed to the government to help provide the staff with accommodation to enable them to respond quickly to emergencies.
Source: GhanaWeb
