Kwahu Gov’t Hospital treated over 76,000 patients last year

The Kwahu Government Hospital offered medical treatment to 76,126 patients last year as against 63,778 patients treated two years ago.

A total of 6,840 patients were admitted at the hospital in 2012 as against 5,681 patients two years ago.

Death at the hospital also dropped from 3.7 percent in 2011 to 3.4 percent last year. The Medical Superintendent in charge of the hospital, Dr Samuel Kwadwo Buabeng Frempong, said this at the inauguration at a 15- member Advisory Board to assist management of the hospital at Atibie Kwahu on Wednesday.

He said though the hospital had been without an advisory board for the past six years, management of the hospital had completed a number of development projects such as renovation of a pharmacy and administration block, two doctors’ bungalows and the administrator’s residence.

Other projects are the renovation of the medical superintendent’s residence which is ongoing, construction of a fence wall around the hospital and construction and mechanization of two bore holes to increase water supply to the hospital as well as procurement of medical equipment to replace obsolete ones from its internally generated fund.

Dr Frempong said in spite of those achievements the hospital faced a number of challenges including inadequate water supply, inadequate staff accommodation, lack of funds to execute projects due to delay in reimbursement from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), old and obsolete medical equipment that requires frequent maintenance and congestion at the Out-Patient Department (OPD).

The Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr McDamien Dedzo, called for effective collaboration between the community and other stakeholders to improve the performance of the hospital.

He said the hospital belongs to the community and it should be involved in its effective running.

Dr Dedzo said that was the more reason why 12 out of the 15-member advisory board are from the community and called for the community involvement in all the deliberation of the hospital activities.

Members of the AdvisoryBboard included Mr Ernest Bediako Sampong of Ernest Chemists Limited, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addae of the Breast Cancer International, the Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong and the District Chief Executive for Kwahu South, Mr Joseph Omari.

Others are Mr Kwabena Afari Dankwa of Matalex Group of Companies, the hospital administrator, Mr Kwame Ampadu Agyei, the medical superintendent of the hospital, representatives of the traditional authority and the Muslim community.