Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital
The redevelopment and upgrading of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH) into a modern facility is on course to ensure expanded healthcare services in the Western Region.
The Scope of the project included the renovation of the catering (laundry and kitchen) building, renovation of the administration building, renovation of the exterior façade of maternity and theatre blocks and ICT infrastructure and equipment to allow modern operations of the hospital.
The Medical Director of ENRH, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, who announced these during a media interaction, explained that the contractor of the project, Amandi Investment Ltd, would substitute containers to temporarily replace some of the collapse structures, to ensure that the construction did not interrupt services for the public.
As part of the project, some staff and patients occupying some designated facilities, including the Accident and Emergency Centre, Antenatal and Post Natal Clinic, laboratories, Orthopedics, CT Scan Center, Children Ward A and C would be relocated into temporary structures by May 31 to pave way for the construction of new facilities by June.
However, the Hospital Tower block, Teachers’ building, Office and administration, Kitchen and laundry would remain intact.
Meanwhile, stakeholders on the projects have met to finalize the drawings of the project.
“It is part of the plan that Amandi Construction Limited will use containers to create offices and hubs to temporary replace affected facilities.
However, to solve some operational challenges during construction, Amandi had agreed to enable ENRH to use the maternity and theatre blocks throughout the duration.”
Dr Tambil appealed to the public and the media to bear with the hospital as the redevelopment was underway because some wards and facilities would be crowded.
He said apart from the evacuation of patients, there would also be the relocation of heavy equipment like the CT Scan and closure of some units.
According to the Medical Director, plans were far advanced for Amandi to move to the site by June 2022.
Dr Tambil assured that “with the new edifice, we can now run effectively and efficiently. Indeed, the future is bright, and we are all in this together. We want the best and this takes time. In a few years to come, we will tell you better stories.”
He said despite the initial challenges, management 2019 had introduced a dialysis unit, diagnostic centre endoscopy wellness centre, breast cancer centre and psychiatrist specialist, with the main Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 95 per cent complete.
“With the ICU centre in place, we do not need to transfer patients outside. Again, with the CT scan, we can also do an analysis of head injuries. We also have ventilators to handle COVD 19 patients.
“One area we have excelled most is health information management with the introduction of the paperless system, installation of CCTV cameras and a new patient ID Cards,” Dr Tambil said.
He said, “When it comes to Tuberculosis management, we are the best. We have also seen a decline in deaths among referral cases which is now about 10-13 percent.”
GNA