Dr. Onike Rodrigues, Head of Department, Children's Block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, says the principal objective of the five-year development plan of the Korle Bu Child Health Foundation is to rehabilitate the centre and develop it to become the first Paediatric Teaching Hospital in West Africa.
Dr. Rodrigues said this when she received a cheque donation of C39.3 million from Mr. Jean Michel Berrit, the French Ambassador to Ghana on behalf of the Francophone countries to the children's block in Accra on Friday.
She said since the establishment of the block in 1965 as a tertiary referral centre for children, no refurbishment has been carried out to the department.
"There are no facilities for the delivery of quality healthcare. In the emergency room three to four children share a bed or a cot meant for one child. The less fortunate ones are nursed for days on wooden benches".
She said the foundation also seeks to create a healthy, child friendly environment and improve the quality of health services available to patients.
According to her the emergency room would be expanded, the mother's hostel re-opened, an intensive paediatric care unit established and all patients records computerized.
She also announced the establishment of a sickle cell disease and cancer units and a child development centre for children with disabilities within 36 months.
Dr. Rodrigues said the children centre needs 180 nurses and 20 specialist doctors but currently operates with 121 nurses, 8 paediatricians and 2 paediatric surgeons. The Out Patient Department (OPD) receives about 150 children everyday and about 20 are admitted.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Chief Executive of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said the hospital that was established 80 years ago still has 1600 patients on admission with some sleeping on wooden benches and on the floor.
He said considering the high patronage of the hospital, it should operate with about $438 million annual budget but unfortunately it is allocated with less than $10 million for its annual budget, making it difficult for the hospital to render prompt and efficient service.
Prof. Boateng called on donors to also take time to study the problem and the system of operation of the hospital and come up with ideas to help mitigate them
Mr. Jean Michel Berrit, the French Ambassador to Ghana, said after the celebration of La Franchophonie every year, the organizing committee raises funds to assist non-governmental organizations involved in the humanitarian sector.
He said the fund was raised from the sale of artworks at Alliance Francaise produced for a workshop called "Art in action" by twelve artists from Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Congo.
