Work on Twifo Praso hospital in advanced stage

A district hospital being constructed for the people of Twifo Praso in the Central Region is more than 75 per cent complete.

The 60-bed facility, being constructed by Euroget De-Invest, an Egyptian capital investment company, is one of nine hospitals being constructed by the company across the country.

The project is expected to be handed over to the government by the end of the first quarter of 2019.

It will be a one-stop modern facility for healthcare delivery in that part of the Central Region, whose people have to travel all the way to Cape Coast to access health services.

Visit

When the Daily Graphic visited the site of the project last Wednesday, it was observed that work had progressed significantly because all the structures had gone past the roofing stage.

The team of engineers on site, made up of the Resident Engineer, Mr Ahmed Aly; the Assistant Resident Engineer, Mr Charles Pipim; the Assistant Resident Mechanic, Mr Mohammed Fuseini, and the Assistant Resident Electrician, Mr Prosper Borkovie, took turns to explain the extent of work being done in the various departments of the project.

Artisans such as electricians, tilers, painters and plumbers were busily installing service tubes, laying base materials and doing external landscaping at various points of the project.

Service pipes were being installed in structures that would serve as medical facilities, such as Physiotherapy, Radiology, Emergency, Casualty, Surgical Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as well as in-patient departments.

The facility, which is on a 102,000-metre square (M2) land, also hosts a two double-storey staff housing unit made up of four flats each and two single units which are also being worked on.

Work has also reached an advanced stage on facilities such as a dining hall, a kitchen, a laundry and a mini market.

Uniqueness

A unique feature of the project is that it contains a housing block comprising six bedrooms where lactating mothers can rest and attend to their babies.

The facility has made provision for an ambulance station to provide prompt services for patients.

To tackle the issue of power outages which most health facilities are confronted with, the project has made provision for two high-tech power plants that will be programmed to switch on automatically when the main source of electricity fails.

Mr Pipim explained that waste management plants and highly improved sewage systems were being put in place to recycle waste at the facility.

"We will also provide mechanised boreholes and install water treatment plants to ensure the supply of quality water for the hospital community," he said.

Assurance

The Country Manager of Euroget Group, Mr Prince Armah, gave an assurance that the project would be completed and handed over to the government on schedule.

He explained that contract for the construction of the hospital was signed in May 2015 and work was expected to be completed within 18 months but was delayed because of some circumstances beyond the company’s control.

"The project delayed for about eight months when there was a change in the political administration because of issues relating to tax waivers, but after a perusal of the documents, the green light was given and we continued with the work," he explained.

He said the company had enjoyed maximum support from key stakeholders and opinion leaders in the Twifo Praso District.

Mr Armah added that more employment opportunities would be created when the project was completed and handed over.

"The government has an agenda to move the country beyond aid and it is a healthy people who can work efficiently to achieve that target," he said.