Ministry of Health reacts to close down of KATH

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Accra, Feb 11, GNA - The Ministry of Health had refuted allegation from a newspaper to close the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) if efforts are not made to expand its auxiliary facilities in and around the city of Ashanti Region.

The Ministry said the edition of the Chronicle Newspaper on February 5, 2013, said the authorities of the KATH in Kumasi may not be able to guarantee continued services to patients who visit the facility in the long term if steps are not taken to complement its effort through the development of auxiliary health facilities.

A press release signed by Mr Dan Osman Mwin, Head of Public Relations at the Ministry of Health and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday in Accra, said there was no need for worry as appropriate steps have been initiated to deal with the situation.

The release said Mr Kwame Frimpong, the Public Relations Officer of KATH, is reported to have told Mr Issah Alhassan of the Chronicle Newspaper, that the Hospital could no longer cope with the situation in the face of the increasing number of attendance.

It said the new Maternity/Pediatric Block which started 34 years ago but received major boost in recent years especially in 2012 budget will be continued to completion this year.

The release said the up-grading of the Tafo and Manhyia Hospitals have witnessed progress in that the new maternity block is almost completed at the Tafo Hospital and a new OPD completed in Manhyia while the Ministry is looking for sources of funds to continue and complete the projects.

It said funding for a new Regional Hospital for the Ashanti Region in Kumasi has been secured under the Euroject 8 No. Hospital Project and work will commence in July 2013 and that plans are far advanced to source funding for the construction of a new Teaching Hospital for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to minimize pressure on KATH.

The release said all the above projects will reduce the congestion in KATH when fully implemented to ensure that all people living in Kumasi and its surrounding communities in general have access to quality health services. GNA