No mammography equipment at Effia Nkwanta Hospital

Sekondi, Sept. 16, GNA - The only mammography equipment (Venus -HF) in the Effia Nkwanta Hospital broke down since 2002, Mr Solomon Tagoe, An Assistant Chief Radiographer of the Hospital has said. He said the machine served both the Western and Central Regions but since it became dysfunctional radiographers have had no option but to refer some cases to the Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi respectively.

Mr Tagoe disclosed this when Papa Owusu Ankomah, Member of Parliament for Sekondi and Minister of the Interior, paid a day's working visit to the Hospital at Sekondi on Friday.


He was conducted round the various units of the Hospital by Dr Robert A. Sagoe, Medical Director in charge of the Hospital, Mrs Esther Pesseh, Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS), Dr Linda Van Otoo, Assistant Director Public Health Unit of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis (SAEMA), Dr Sylvester Anemana and officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).


Mr Tagoe said though the unit was ready to train other radiographers from some teaching hospitals, the poor state of the equipment was hindering their efforts.


Mr Andrews Eshun, Senior Technical Officer at the same unit said the mobile Philips Practix 33 plus, had broken down for the past five years and this was seriously affecting their operations, causing unnecessary delays and minimising output.

He called on the government, the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to provide the unit with the requisite machinery to make the radiography unit vibrant. Dr Sagoe said plans were underway to transform the Hospital into a centre of excellence. He said extensive renovation, expansion and the construction of buildings was ongoing to enable the Hospital to meet the increasing needs of patients.


Dr Sagoe said a new emergency and accident centre was currently under construction while some units would be upgraded. He announced that the Paediatric Unit, Out Patients Department (OPD), Ante-Natal Care Unit, Maternity Ward that were always busy would be expanded to accommodate more patients in preparation towards the high hospital attendance when the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) becomes operational.


Dr Sagoe told the Minister that the Hospital now had a new 250 capacity mortuary while the old one was under rehabilitation. Papa Ankomah said his visit was to familiarise him with the state of affairs at the Hospital and to wish the staff well. He commended the management and staff of the Hospital for their efforts and urged them to make the needs of their patients their priority.