Work on Korle-Bu elevators are on-going - Professor Nartey

December 17, 2010 Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - Management of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Friday, said work on the hospital's elevators had started in earnest after the contracts were awarded to CFAO Ghana Limited.

At a press briefing in Accra, Professor Nii Otu Nartey, Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, said 13 elevators would be replaced with priority at the maternity and surgical blocks.

Replacement of the elevators at an estimated cost of GH¢ 2.4 million was made possible with funds from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)

"I am happy to announce that we have made significant progress in the installation of 13 new elevators in the clinical areas of the hospital".

"Work is progressing steadily and all the elevators would be installed and handed over to the management by the end of March 2011, barring any unforeseen contingencies," he said.

Prof Nartey said elevators at the Maternity Block had progressed steadily and had been given the assurance that an elevator would be completely fixed before the end of January 2011.

Work was also on-going at the Surgical Block, where an elevator would soon be replaced.

In January 2011, installation works would also start at the Child Health Department, Department of Medicine, Allied Surgery Sub-BMC and Radiology.

Prof Nartey gave the assurance that the work would be undertaken in such a manner that it would not create inconvenience to clients of the hospital.

"The Board and management have worked tirelessly to have the elevators replaced and would not rest until completion," he added.

In the management's quest to improve quality of care given to patients and clients, a clinical ethics and professionalism committee, was being formed to address major concerns and grievances of patients.

The committee would be made up of experienced medical and paramedical professionals and religious leaders, he said, and noted that the first two information complaints desks at the Out Patients Department (OPD) had been established at the Central OPD and the Polyclinic.

Prof Nartey said these interventions were part of management's determination to attain excellence in health care delivery and urged patients, clients and the public to make use of the avenues to address their grievances when they felt not being treated well instead of rushing to the media.

On water supply, he said management had acquired a water tanker to ensure regular water supply to clinical areas when there was interruption from the Weija Headworks.

Prof Nartey explained that this was an interim measure and management was negotiating with the Ghana Water Company to drill two boreholes in addition to the expansion of the water reservoir to ensure that the clinics could function for a week should there be water shortage.

In June this year, the management awarded a contract to replace the hospital's malfunctioning elevators at an estimated cost of GH¢ 2.4 million in addition to the training of hospital engineers to maintain them after installation.

GNA