President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the collective health infrastructural projects being undertaken by his government falls in line with the country’s vision to become a global centre for medical excellence.
He hopes that the massive health projects being implemented by the government will also make Ghana a destination for medical tourism.
“Agenda 111, the largest health infrastructure ever in our country’s history is part of our country’s vision for Ghana’s health care sector, the realization of it will lead to Ghana becoming a centre of medical excellence and a destination for medical tourism”, he said.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, as he delivered his first State of the Nation Address of his second term, the President said he is committed to expanding access to healthcare especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has emphasized the need for government to expand health care for every Ghanaian irrespective of his or her education. I want to thank all our frontline healthcare workers for their devotion to duty and sense of patriotism. The great amount of work undertaken by government 375 functioning well-equipped ambulances under the one constituency one ambulance initiative is supported by state of the art digitized centre.”
The government introduced Agenda 111 in 2020 to see to the construction of 100-bed District Hospitals in one 101 Districts with no hospitals, seven Regional Hospitals for the new Regions, including one for the Western Region, the construction of two new psychiatric hospitals for the Middle Belt and Northern Belt, respectively, and the rehabilitation of Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region.
President Akufo Addo said the construction of these projects is on course and will continue without interruption.
“Government will continue to invest in the health sector, and will continue to recruit more health professionals, in addition to the one hundred thousand recruited in my first term for our health facilities”, he added.
He also mentioned that Electronic medical records system (E-Health) deployment is currently underway in key health facilities like Korle-Bu, Komfo-Anokye, Ho, Tamale and Cape Coast Teaching Hospitals, and 18 district hospitals in the Central Region.
The Upper East, Upper West, and Bono Regional Hospitals will go live on the e-health platform in five days, he assured.
According to the President, 33 major health projects were approved for implementation last year at a cost of 890 million euros.
Key amongst these projects are the Koforidua Regional Hospital, Tema General Hospital, the Nephrology and Urology Centre at Korle-Bu, Redevelopment of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital into a Teaching Hospital, and the Construction of a new Regional Hospital at Agona Nkwanta in the Western Region.
What government seeks to achieve with Agenda 111
a) Each of the 16 regional hospitals will be designated as a Centre of Excellence in the different specialities of medicine. For example, orthopaedic surgery, burns, plastic and reconstructive surgery, breast care centre, fertility centre, neonatology and paediatric centre, neurosurgery and spine centre, stroke centre, heart and kidney centre and mental health centre to name a few.
b) Continuously upgrade our medical curriculum, and continue to train our young doctors and health care professionals in a world-class fashion.
c) Incentivize the private sector to increase capacity to support demand in healthcare delivery; and
d) Encourage Ghanaian medical experts in the diaspora to collaborate and join hands with us to help build and contribute to the realisation of this noble vision.
Source:citinewsroom.com
