New Ridge Hospital opens to public

The refurbished Ridge Hospital, now the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, was yesterday opened to the public. The 420-bed expansion project was financed by the government of Ghana with a credit facility from Exim Bank and HSBC Bank of the United States of America (USA).

Some of the facilities of the hospital are a diagnostic and treatment block with a 24-hour surgery unit, an imaging department, a maternity centre, a national intensive care unit (NICU), an intensive care unit (ICU), an emergency ICU and a burns unit.

It also has a medical support unit, such as a pharmacy, a laboratory, a central sterilisation, a school of anaesthesia, a 100-body capacity mortuary and an oxygen generation plant.

There is also an accommodation facility for 42 staff members, a kitchen, a laundry, central stores, technical rooms, changing rooms, as well as a crèche.

Views from patients and nurses

During a tour of the facility yesterday, some of the patients on admission and nurses who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, expressed appreciation to successive governments, especially the immediate past National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, for the major rehabilitation and upgrading of the hospital to provide  quality health care to patients in the Greater Accra Region.

 “For over a decade, my family and I have been patronising this hospital. There used to be so much congestion here, but now I feel so comfortable. Formerly, you will not even get a place to rest. The moment you feel better you must leave because someone else is coming, but now things have changed and I am happy,” one patient said.

“I have travelled around the world and I can say that this is one of the best healthcare facilities in the world. Everything is in order. My only prayer is that we will maintain it well so that five or 10 years from now the environment will still be accommodating”, said a patient who only gave her name as Auntie Grace.

For her part, a nurse on duty said: “I have been working here for four years now. I know that this infrastructure is a great relief, not only to the patients but also to us. The frustration of treating a patient with inadequate equipment and drugs is eased a bit. I hope our governments will focus more on such developments to make our work easy.’’

“This facility just makes the job enjoyable. Lately, even when I close from work I feel like hanging around to help my colleagues on duty. I think we need more of such facilities,” another nurse said.

Acknowledgements

 At the ceremony, which was chaired by Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona IV, Osu Mantse, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, said the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government would soon commence the process of securing funding to start the construction of the second phase to achieve  full functionality of the envisaged development.

He commended former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama for their immense contributions towards providing Accra with a befitting modern referral regional hospital.

“This journey of modernising the Ridge Hospital started with the construction of the main OPD Block in 2000 by former President J.J. Rawlings. The former governments of President Mills and President Mahama initiated the construction of the first phase of the hospital which we are operationalising today. The nation is indeed grateful for their efforts”, he said.

He also expressed gratitude to partners such as Exim Bank, HSBC Bank, Booygues Construction Ghana and General Electric West and Central Africa for their contributions towards the project.

 He further expressed appreciation to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson and the French Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Francois Pujolas, who graced the occasion, for their personal commitment to the successful construction of the facility.

Maintenance

For their part, Nii  Dowuona IV, the Osu Mantse, and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey,   charged the management, staff and clients of the facility to make a conscious effort to collectively ensure its maintenance.

“It is time to take ownership of this facility and maintain it. It will take a lot of work but it is our collective responsibility to maintain it. Let us make a difference with this edifice to come here 10 years later to see it as beautiful as it is”, the Osu Mantse said.

Background

Late last year, then President John Mahama inaugurated the first phase of expansion works at the hospital, with an assurance that the government would continue to invest in health infrastructure to improve health delivery.

According to the staff of the facility, the first phase became fully operational in March this year after the installation and testing of medical equipment.

 The second phase will make the total project a 620-bed facility, with an additional 42 staff housing units.

Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu speaking at the inauguration

Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (2nd right), Minister of Health assisted by Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI (2nd left), Osu Mantse cutting the tape to inaugurate the newly constructed Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra. Looking on are Ms Tina Mensah (right), Deputy Minister of Health and Mr Ishmeal Ashitey, Greater Accra Regional Minister. Picture: EMMMANUEL ASAMOAH ADDAI