Work on Mother and Baby Unit at KATH nears completion

Construction work on a new Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi which started five months ago is 95 per cent complete.

What is left now are some few touches and the training of staff to take over the unit, which is expected to be inaugurated by the middle of January 2018.

This came to light when the engineers of African Building Partners, the constructing firm for the project, led by Mr Stephen Coret, took reporters round the project on Wednesday.

The project was spearheaded by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, through the Rebecca Foundation, and she mobilised GH¢10 million for work to commence.

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Facilities

According to Mr Coret, equipment and fittings, as well as beds, had been fixed and that the company was now engaged in what he termed “snagging”, — identifying minor uncompleted works in the paintings, doors and windows for rectification and completion.

Explaining further, he said the building was constructed with concrete insulated structured panels that could withstand earthquakes, fires and explosions, adding that the new facility would increase available birthing beds from two to nine and operating theatres from two to three and also hike the capacity of simultaneous births from four to 12.

He said compared with the old structure that had 350 square metres of indoor space, the new building was built on 1,724 square metres and had 15 incubators, 11 paediatric beds and 30 adjustable chairs for mothers to breastfeed their babies.

Mr Coret added that all the beds at the Neonatal Intensive Care and the Paediatric Intensive Care units had oxygen points, while all the rooms had data points for computerisation and close circuit television (CCTV) facilities for both security and electronic teaching and learning purposes.

According to him, the building had also been fixed with modern technology that would ensure that faucets, showers and toilets would use different sources of water, including borehole and recycled water.

Project

The project consists of three medical buildings: Maternity, Neonatal Intensive Care and Paediatric Intensive Care units.

They have all been fitted with systems that filter fresh air into the rooms. The interior is aesthetically designed and decorated.

The construction of the new project, which has 120 cots on wheels, became necessary following the dilapidated and congested nature of the former Mother and Baby Unit of the hospital, leading to higher-than-normal mortality rates in the facility.

Appreciation

The Director of Projects at the Office of the First Lady, Mr Kwaku Kwakye, expressed Mrs Akufo-Addo’s appreciation to all stakeholders, including the Multimedia Group and donors, for supporting the ‘Save a child, save a mother’ project at KATH .

He said the Rebecca Foundation would continue to make a difference in the lives of women and children across the country.