The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital has extended its Out-Patient Department (OPD) services to weekends and holidays, the Clinical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Eric Ngyedu said on Wednesday.
The extension of service which started in August 2013 on a pilot basis, was to reduce pressure on the Accident and Emergency Unit during weekends and Holidays when the OPD was closed and also provide primary healthcare access to patrons, especially those whose work schedule inhibits them from visiting the hospital during weekdays.
He said this at the opening of a two-day Annual Performance Review for 2013 during which Departments and Units reviewed their activities to enable them draw targets for 2014.
Representatives from the Regional Health Directorate, Oguaa Traditional Council, University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences, management members, heads of departments and medical and non-medical staff were in attendance.
The scheduled 0800 to 1400 working hours of the weekend/holiday services would be extended to 1800hrs from March to achieve the highest standard of healthcare.
The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Daniel Asare, appealed to the government to expedite the institution of the Board to complete the semi-autonomous status of the facility to attain its full position as a Teaching Hospital.
He said 37 out of 42 from the first batch of medical students who passed out had been absorbed by the Hospital, increasing their housemanship numbers from 26 to 56.
He said there was an increase in the number of beds from 262 to 380 beds, now 400, and that new beds, equipment and instruments were received from the Ministry of Health to retool and re-equip the units and departments.
He said management would roll out customer service training for staff to be more sensitive, empathetic and client friendly at all times to patients and their relations.
Dr. Asare said the authorities would refurbish a hired room to establish a crèche for breastfeeding staff near the hospital, and a hostel for relatives of patients on admission who are from outside Cape Coast to reduce the loitering.
He mentioned inadequate nurses, midwives, administrators, pharmacists and technicians as some of the challenges the hospital was facing and expressed management’s appreciation for the continuous dedication of the staff to the improvement of patient care.
The Hospital Administrator, Mr. Emmanuel Yaw Adjei-Frimpong, said waiting time at the hospital had reduced considerably, adding that it was working round the clock to further reduce time spent at the pharmacy.
He said a major challenge of the hospital was encroachment on its lands, and cautioned the public against the purchase of such land.
The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, built in 1998 as a modern Regional Hospital for the Central Region, is being transformed into a Teaching Hospital with the added mandate of training doctors and other medical staff.
