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Veep impressed with progress of work on UG Teaching Hospital

00323 Vice President Amissah-Arthur with Prof. Ebenezer Owusu Oduro, Prof. Aaron Lawson

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 Source: Maxwell Addo

The Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has stated that he is impressed with the progress of work on the 650-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital, built at a cost of 217 million dollars will be completed and handed over to government next month.

He described the super tertiary teaching hospital as unique. He said government in the near future will put up a similar facility for the northern sector of the country.

This came to light when the Vice President paid a working visit to the New University of Ghana Teaching Hospital. He was taken round by The Project Co-ordinator of the he Project Prof. Aaron Lawson, accompanied by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ebenezer Owusu Oduro, took the Vice President round the teaching hospital,which is made up of seven well-equipped buildings constituting the first phase.

Government has also secured 48 million dollars to begin the second phase which is a 400 bed capacity. As part of the project, a number of Ghanaian health professionals have undergone a short term hands on training at the Sheba Medical Centre in Israel.

They are expected to constitute a critical mass of staff to be engaged when the teaching hospital commences operations.

Meanwhile, authorities at the University of Ghana, Legon have confirmed to the press that the University of Ghana Teaching Hospital is being financed by the Government through a 217 million dollar loan facility secured from Israel.

The Project Co-ordinator of the Hospital, Prof. Aaron Lawson said the Government has also secured an additional 48 million dollars for the second phase of the project for additional 400 beds. He said the University has demonstrated the capacity to pay back the loan to government.

He announced that more than two thousand people will be engaged to work in the facility when the second phase is completed.

The University of Ghana Teaching Hospital Project which has been on the drawing board for decades, commenced on 12th March, 2011 with sod cutting ceremony by the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. That same year,Government solicited a loan facility from a bank in Israel for the design,construction and installation of medical equipment for a 617- bed Hospital facility for the University of Ghana.

The main contractor is Messers Engineering and Development Consultants Limited of Israel, with Sheba Medical Centre, also in Israel, as the medical consultants. Cabinet and Parliamentary approvals were granted in June and July 2011 respectively.

Following a value for for money audit process, the commercial contract was signed in November 2012 and the contractor, mobilised to site in April 2013. It is a three year fixed price contract.

Source: Maxwell Addo