Accra, July 25, GNA - The Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital would be commissioned next year while the out-patients department would be operational by August this year.
Even though about 90 per cent of the equipment for the hospital have arrived, the outstanding equipment essential for effective running of the whole hospital is yet to arrive.
Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health said this in parliament on Friday in response to an Urgent Parliamentary question asked by Mr Isaac K. Adjei-Mensah, NDC member of Parliament for Techiman North. The member asked the Minister when the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, built under the previous administration to enhance health delivery in the Region would be commissioned.
Dr Afriyie said, in line with the plan drawn for the hospital it was envisaged that the expected equipment would be fully installed by the end of October this year.
He said this would allow the rest of the hospital to be operationalised for an appreciable period before the commissioning.
The Minister said furthermore, an intensive four-month training programme, beginning this year has been drawn to train 60 Nurse Assistants and other ancillary para-medical staff to man the hospital.
Dr Afriyie said since quarters for nurses and other medical personnel were left out from the original contract for the hospital, government was seeking for funds to construct a number of them, as part of making the hospital complete to function effectively and efficiently. Mr Kofi Attor, NDC-Ho Central asked the Minister what measures the Minister was taking to seek for funding to provide additional structures and nurses quarters for the Ho and Cape Coast Regional Hospitals.
Dr Afriyie said Ho Regional hospital has a nurse's village but it was outside the premises and government was seeking for funds to ensure that the hospitals provide decent accommodation for the health personnel.
