Amasaman health post to become district hospital

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA- Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health on Wednesday said it was the policy of the Ministry to provide a district hospital in each of the 110 districts to enhance health care delivery. He said, currently, there were three health centers in the Greater Accra Region that the Ministry would upgrade to the status of a full-fledge hospital to expand health care services.

Dr.Afriyie was speaking in Parliament when Mr. Ernest Attuquaye Armah, NDC-Ga South, asked him what plans the Ministry has to elevate the Amasaman Health Post to the status of a district hospital befitting the Ga District.

The Minister said the Amasaman facility was one of three health centers to be upgraded into a district hospital.

He said the Ministry recently completed a 60-bed hospital at Ada and the next in line to be upgraded was the Amasaman Health post. "A lot of work has been done including the construction of a theatre and a ward as part of efforts to upgrade the health centre. It is anticipated that work on this project would be completed in three years," Dr. Afriyie said.

Mr. Mike Gizo, NDC-Shai Osudoku, asked which was the third facility to be upgraded in the Ga district but the Minister could not immediately mention any facility, saying he required notice to provide the answer. Dr. Kwame Ampofo, NDC-South Dayi, asked for the criteria in upgrading a health post into a district hospital and the Minister said such a facility should be able to run a 24-hour service with a doctor and nurse at post at all times.

He also mentioned the need for a theatre, a laboratory, catering services and laundry, among other facilities, to qualify a district for the facility.

Answering a question by Mr. Kwakye Addo, NDC-Afram Plains South, on when the Food and Drugs Board, dissolved by the present administration, will be reconstituted, Dr. Afriyie said the Board served its tenure, which had expired and therefore it was not dissolved.

"The tenure of the office of the Board expired in accordance with section 27 of the Food and Drugs Law 1992, P.N.D.C. law 305B. Arrangements are far advanced to reconstitute the Board of Directors," he said.

He explained that the Ministry was currently expecting nominees from various institutions statutorily required to serve on the Board. "In the process of compiling the list of nominees, the Ministry's attention was drawn to the fact that certain nominees whose names were submitted by their institutions in the past have retired from the service," Dr. Afriyie said.

"It is my firm conviction that as soon as we have all the nominees and list completed, which we are feverishly pursuing, the appropriate administrative steps will be put in place to ensure the reconstitution of the Board."

Mr. Addo asked the Minister for a specific date as to when the Board would be in place but the Minister said the names would be forwarded to the President who would in consultation with the Council of State choose the nominees, adding that the only trouble was the internal mechanism involved with such processes.

Alhaji Ali Amadu, NDC-Atebubu South, wondered how the Food and Drugs Board could perform its duties efficiently without a Board but the Minister said a steering committee was always present in the Ministry to assist in such matters.

Reports of the Finance Committee on the Banking and Payments Systems Bills were also laid at the commencement of Public Business.