Finance Minister Visits KATH…Assures of Completing Maternity Block, Others In Ashanti.
Dr Muhammed Amin A Antar, Finance Minister (5th left) listening to the contractor working on Kath Maternity Block during his visit to site yesterday. With him is Prof Otchere Addai Mensah, KATH CEO (4th left)
Dr Muhammed Amin A. Antar, Finance Minister of the Republic on Tuesday afternoon together with staff at the Ministry visited the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The visit by Ghana’s exchequer was to learn at first hand challenges faced by the hospital and also to assess the state of work at the site where the new Maternity Block was being constructed.
Speaking to the media on site, Dr ANTAR said government had released a total of 14 million euros 💶 to the contractor to mobilise and continue with work on the over 900 bed Maternity Block.
“I am glad that the contractor has assured that in two week’s time he would be on site to continue with construction so that we can complete the project within schedule. As government we have released 14 million euros to enable them carry out works at this facility”, the Minister stated.
Briefing:
Earlier, the Minister told newsmen that government was committed to completing all projects started in the Ashanti region including roads, markets, hospitals and others.
He noted that the President has instructed him to find money to work and complete the Sofoline Interchange, the Kejetia phase two project, the KATH Maternity Block, the Kumasi International Airport as well as roads in the Ashanti Region.
He disclosed that Five Million dollars had been released to the contractor working on the Afari military hospital and was sure that the project would soon be completed for use.
“The President of Ghana 🇬🇭 would make a big announcement in the coming days and the people of the Ashanti region would have cause to be happy because all key projects that i have enumerated and others i didn’t mention would be tackled and completed for the use by the people”, the Minister stated.
KATH Chief Executive:
Briefing the Minister of the key steps taken so far at KATH, Prof Otchere Addai Mensah said the hospital was being renovated through the Heal Kath Project initiated by the Asantehene.
Currently, he noted that management have had to adopt a phased approach due to lack of space to renovate and still take care of patients, adding that the completion of the 900 bed Maternity block would be a welcomed gesture since they would have more space to move patients and carry out the renovations.
The CEO said aside the commitment to put KATH in good shape, the hospital was facing the challenge of retooling and was currently working with one dialysis machine despite the huge numbers that visit the facility for care.
“The difficult call i have had to make as CEO has been to ask patients to be sent to private facilities because we may lack the equipment to treat or may have been overburdened with other issues and i am hopeful that with this visit of the Finance Minister we will have government support to address the challenges we have here”, Prof Addai Mensah stated.
END
