Expansion of Kaneshie polyclinic stalls for over 10 years

Construction of a three-storey facility for the Kaneshie Polyclinic has stalled. The project, which started in 2004, was to expand the facility and help ease congestion.

Since it was constructed in 1966, the facility, which is Ghana’s oldest polyclinic, has seen no expansion and has, therefore, become too congested to cater for the needs of residents in its attachment area.

Over the period of more than 10 years since its construction came to a halt, the uncompleted structure has been taken over by rodents, insects and reptiles.

The structure, which has spaces for theatres, a dental unit, recovery wards, consulting rooms, and eye and ear clinics, has dirt, garbage and moss covering its floors.

Current situation

The 24-hour operated polyclinic  receives more than 400 patients a day and provides medical services to residents from Kaneshie, Bubiashie, Awudome, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Darkuman, Abeka Lapaz, Avenor and Achimota, among other places. 

Currently, it has 28 beds, including those of the maternity section, and a 12-bed recovery ward for general cases.

The Medical Director of the Kaneshie Polyclinic and the Okaikoi Sub-metro area, Dr Patrick Amo-Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that although reminders had been sent to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service for the completion of the facility, nothing had been done so far.

“Because it is a contract that has been given to somebody, we cannot use internally generated funds to complete it due to legal reasons. Moreover, it is capital-intensive,” he said. 

Dr Amo-Mensah said new projects had taken up a chunk of the space of the polyclinic,

“At the moment our main problem is lack of space. Because of the lack of space patients have to lie outside and on benches on the corridor,” he added.