100-bed capacity hospital for Ashaiman

A sod-cutting ceremony has been held at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region for the construction of a 100-bed capacity hospital to address the health needs of the people in the municipality.

The hospital project, a private sector initiative of New Crystal Health Services Ltd and funded by the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, is being constructed by Messrs Sawer -Nanor and Sons Company Ltd and is expected to be completed in 24 months at a cost of $2.5 million.

The project is the second of five being undertaken by the New Crystal Health Services with support from its equity partners, Investisseurs and Partenaires and the IFC, as part of an infrastructure upgrade process to be able to serve the community better and to be able to meet new and emerging health threat such as chronic non-communicable diseases.

300 beds

In all, an amount of $7 million has been made available to New Crystal Health Services for the construction of a total of 300 bed capacity facilities spread across several locations. They include a 50-bed hospital facility at Michel Camp, a 100-bed facility at Ashaiman, an 80-bed facility at Tema and renovation and expansion of its 40-bed capacity and 39-bed capacity facilities at Afenyo and Adjei Kojo branches, respectively.

 At the sod-cutting event last Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New Crystal Health Services, Dr Wisdom Amegbletor, said the projects, when completed, would provide a total of 300 beds, which would go a long way to improve the hospital beds situation in the country and complement the government's efforts in providing quality health care for the citizenry.

He added that the projects would create an additional 200 direct jobs to health workers and an unquantifiable number of indirect jobs.

The Ashaiman Municipal Director of Health Services, Mrs Peace Ami Mamattah, who described New Crystal Health Services as a key stakeholder in health services delivery in the municipality, pledged the Municipal Health Directorate’s support for private sector players in health service delivery to achieve the desired outcomes.

24-hour liveable city

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ashaiman, Mr Albert Boakye Okyere, said the construction of the hospital fell within the assembly's overall vision to make the municipality a 24-hour liveable city and the addition of such facility would go a long way to improve the health of all citizens of the municipality.

The acting Chief of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor, commended the management of New Crystal Health Services for contributing its quota to the development of the municipality and urged the government to assist the private sector to do more for the municipality.

The ECOWAS Regional Director of AMPC, an independent consultancy firm that specialises in the development of hospitals, Liliane Mpabanzi, commended the management of New Crystal Health Services for investing in a project to improve healthcare access and in the Ashaiman Municipality.

The Chief Executive of Sawer -Nanor and Sons Company Ltd, Mr Simon Sawer Tetteh, promised to work hard to ensure that the project was delivered on time and according to specifications.

Writer's email benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh