Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital gets eight-bed intensive care unit
Sekondi, Sept. 19. GNA- The Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) has refurbished an eight -bed Intensive Care Unit for COVID-19 treatment at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region.
The facility is furnished with eight ventilators and fitted with modern equipment key in supporting COVID-19 patients with complications and would require respiratory support.
Presenting it to the management of the hospital, Mr. Raphael Frerking, Programmes Manager for the Governance for Inclusive Development, said plans were underway for the construction of an additional 28-bed isolation unit, as part of the Ghana-German Cooperation towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the refurbishment and rehabilitation of the eight -bed intensive unit for the treatment of COVID-19 patients was one of the priority areas of assistance to Ghana by the governance programme.
Mr Frerking said apart from fixing the ventilators, three months’ supply of consumables for the ventilators, hospital waste disposal facility, doctors and nurses changing rooms and work stations and washrooms were provided.
He said a team of 12 critical care staff of the hospital received training on the installation and use of the ventilators with the responsibility to extend the knowledge and skills acquired to other staff of the hospital.
Mr Frerking explained that the unit would in the long run serve as a center of excellence in training medical professionals in Ghana and position the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital as an important healthcare service provider.
He entreated the staff of the hospital to exhibit a high standard of professionalism, work ethics and customer service orientation to position the hospital as the preferred centre for not only the treatment of infectious disease, but the training of medical personnel.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, thanked GIZ for the enormous financial and technical support to refurbish and equip the facility.
He appealed to the Management of the hospital and the Regional Health Directorate to ensure that the facility remained functional at all times, urging them to have a maintenance plan to be implemented religiously.
The Regional Minister assured GIZ that as part of the monitoring role of the Western Region Coordinating Council (WRCC), it would keep an eye on the facility to ensure continuous maintenance and effective operation.
Mr Darko-Mensah stressed the need to stay safe by adhering to all COVID-19 protocols to prevent the spread of the virus as it was still prevalent.
He stated that the region had 2,963 cases recorded of which 2,949 were treated and discharged, with 14 deaths.
Mr Darko-Mensah cautioned the public to exercise extreme hygienic disciplines in order not to bring back the virus.
He expressed gratitude to the Regional Health Directorate, authorities of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital and the entire team of professionals for their hard work.
The Medical Director for Effia-Nkwanta Regional hospital Mr Joseph Tambil said, the Effia-Nkwanta hospital was ready and staff was poised to deliver their mandate of managing COVID-19 cases in the Metropolis.
Mr. Tambil promised to use the facility for the purpose for which it was built, and to make sure it was part of an integrated infectious disease centre serving Western Region, Western North and its surrounding communities.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Mr Abdul Mumin Issah said, the commissioning of the facility was a manifestation of collaboration between the various organs of states and the international community in the fight against the pandemic.
Mr Issah said with the commissioning of the facility, the Metropolis was assured of high health care that would reduce referral cases to Accra for intensive care cases related to COVID-19.
