Need to develop indigenous technology -Prof

Accra, Oct. 9, GNA - Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday appealed to government to make the development of indigenous technology, a major component in its development programme.

He said, " it is simply unacceptable that everything used in the hospital from cotton wool and plaster to the most sophisticated X-ray machine is imported".

Professor Frimpong-Boateng was speaking at a durbar of the Management and Staff of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to climax activities marking the 80th anniversary celebrations of Ghana's premier hospital.

The theme for the celebrations of the hospital established in October 1923 is, "Korle-Bu in Transition: Real autonomy, more efficiency". President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was the Guest Speaker unveiled a new logo and inaugurated a new 3.5 billion cedis 24-hour service laboratory built from the hospital's own resources.

The 1,600- bed hospital has about 1,000 outpatients reporting everyday and daily admissions range from 250-400 with about 3,000 workers.

Professor Frimpong-Boateng said a lot of technicians, doctors and others had conceptualised innovative instruments, equipment and processes but these could not be developed further because of absolute lack of a machine tool centre anywhere in the country.

"We will thus continue to depend on expensive imports for everything used in our hospital", he added.

The Chief Executive, therefore, advocated for the development of the capacity to produce articles such as gauze, needles, syringes, catheters and Plaster of Paris (POP) in Ghana and thereby save foreign exchange for the more complex equipment and materials that could not be produced in the country, adding " without technology, we cannot make it".

Professor Frimpong-Boateng said in the provision of basic infrastructure at the hospital that formed the basis of the first phase of its development programme, attention would be focused on improving patient care by introducing equipment and advanced skills and techniques.

He said this would go hand in hand with training programmes that would improve the human capital needed to cope with the new skills and techniques to put Korle-Bu on the threshold to break new frontiers.

"We will not be satisfied with what is usually referred to as African standards. We aim at achieving international standards", he added. Professor Frimpong-Boateng said the Management was taking the question of preventive medicine seriously.

He said the diet of school children and, in fact majority of Ghanaians was deteriorating in terms of nutritional quality because they consumed too much of refined sugar, fats and oils and sugary drinks.

The Chief Executive said management was therefore, encouraging the Dietherapy Department at the hospital to come out with appropriate diet, especially for school children.

Professor Frimpong-Boateng, said despite the many problems facing Korle-Bu, it was still one of the best organized public institution in Ghana and pledged the management's determination to work hard to solve the basic problems facing the hospital.

These include crumbling infrastructure, poor accommodation for staff, replacement of broken down equipment, road and drainage, pavement, parks and gardens.