A ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a teaching hospital for the University of Ghana, has taken place at the University. This follows a sod-cutting performed by the late President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills in March last year.
The symbolic ground breaking was performed by the Minister for Education, Ambassador Lee Ocran with the assistance of the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo and Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey.
The Chairman for the occasion, Justice Prof. Samuel K. Date-Bah, who is also Chairman of the University Council, said the time had come to put together a comprehensive policy and other strategies for the implementation of quality healthcare delivery. He commended the government for its foresight to provide quality healthcare education for health and medical students.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Mettle-Nunoo observed that when the project is completed, it will be self-financing and open to the public and citizens from the West-African sub-region and beyond. He said the facility will be replicated at the KNUST and other Universities which train health professionals in Ghana.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aryeetey in an address said, the facility will enhance the increase in interaction between students and faculty of the College of Health Sciences and other students of the University. He noted that it will also provide an opportunity for inter-disciplinary research and teaching to enhance medical and health sciences education.
Prof. Aryeetey expressed gratitude the government of Ghana and particularly, the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Mettle-Nunoo for his support in ensuring that the project takes off. He noted that the University has allocated One million Ghana Cedis to the College for the construction of an administrative block, to facilitate the movement of the College from Korle-Bu to the main campus in Legon.
The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Madam Sharon Bar-Li conveyed the Israeli government’s pleasure at being a part of such an important project. She said the centre would provide the most efficient and effective health care for its users.
The Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Aaron Lawson enumerated the various attempts that had been made to put up a teaching hospital for the University since the colonial era.
He indicated that the hospital would be expanded into a 1,300 bed facility to ease the pressure on the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital as currently, students and patients scramble for space in the hospital; something that does not help provide effective teaching, learning and patient care.
Professor Lawson noted that when completed, the Hospital would have state-of-the-art facilities for trauma and emergency services, heart surgery, medical imaging, and a heliport, among others. He was hopeful that after a second visit to Israel in January next year, the actual construction of the 600 bed facility will begin in February and take 36 months to complete.
There were solidarity messages from the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the University of Health and Allied Sciences and the University for Development Studies, the Ghana Medical Council and the Ghana Medical Association.
The $217 million project is located on a 400 acre land behind the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the University. It is being funded by a loan facility agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Government of Israel. The Teaching Hospital will be built using the model of the Sheba Medical Centre in Israel.
