President Rawlings inspects development projects in Brong-

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 15th April ?99 ?

President Jerry John Rawlings on Wednesday inspected the ?35 million regional hospital under construction at Sunyani, as part of a three-day working visit to the Brong Ahafo region.

The 240-bed hospital, scheduled to be completed in September next year, was started in 1997 with the aid of Britain.

The President also inspected the 1.3 million-dollar roadwork, being undertaken under the "Urban Three Project".

Briefing the President on the hospital project, Mr I. A. Braimah, Resident Architect of the Architect Co-Partners, Consultants to the project, said work on the physical structures of the hospital was about 56 per cent complete. About 70 per cent of the equipment for the ultra modern health facility, health facility, he said, were either in stock or have been ordered indicating that it would be fully completed and operational by September next year.

Mr Braimah said the hospital will have specialised departments such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Laboratories, Accident and Emergency, Physiotherapy, Pharmacies, Relatives' Lodge and a treatment plant to ensure safe disposal of wastes.

The Regional Director of Health, Dr Kofi Asare said the only omission of the laudable project was the non-inclusion of accommodation facilities for the hundreds of medical staff that would be needed to man the hospital.

He said currently, there are only 27 housing units for doctors and other senior health workers in the town meaning that the 3000-strong staff expected to man the hospital when completed would have "no where to lay their heads".

Dr Asare, therefore, appealed to the government to approve the construction of more residential facilities. Mr John Goli, resident engineer of Asafo Boakye and Partners Consultants to the Urban-Three Project told the President that about 4.4 kilometres of dual carriage roads are being constructed in the town.

Mr Goli said the only thing delaying the project is the relocation of electricity cables of the Volta River Authority (VRA). In spite of numerous requests and reminders the VRA has not done so.

Telecom and water lines have already been re-located and work on the roads would be quickly completed when the electricity cables are relocated by the VRA.

President Rawlings asked the regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre to liaise with the VRA to ensure that the cables are quickly re- located in order not to cause undue delay of the project.