Parliament Approves Contract For Ridge Hospital Rehabilitation Works

Parliament has approved a commercial agreement between the government and Messrs Bouygues Bartiment International, for the design, construction, procurement and installation of equipment for the rehabilitation of the Ridge Hospital in Accra.

The project, which has already begun, is expected to be completed in 2016, and is being financed with a Government of Ghana mixed credit facility of 250 million US dollars from Exim Bank and the HSBC Bank.

The rehabilitation works is expected to provide the Hospital with ultra-modern facilities and a 420-bed capacity to improve quality and expand access to health care delivery, particularly to its immediate catchment area.

The Hospital is designed to contain components, such as the Civil, mechanical and electrical works for covering a comprehensive Diagnostic and Treatment block to ensure a 24- hour surgical service.

Accommodation for 42 staff members, school of anesthesia, 100 bodies capacity mortuary, main road and car park would also be constructed as part of the Project.

Other components of the facility include an Imaging Department, Delivery Unit, Accident and Emergency Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency ICU as well as a Burns Unit.

A report of the Committee on Health on the agreement, said the hospital would witness a face lift with medical support including pharmacy, laboratory, central sterilisation, logistics support, among others.

It said the committee was informed that as a result of the location of the hospital, it was currently facing an increase in workload especially, in both the maternity unit and child health department.

“There are times where women have to be put on the floor after delivery to free a labour bed for another woman. In addition, pregnant women in labour sometimes have to wait in queues for their turn,” it said and added that the congestion at the child health department did not auger well for the hospital.

The committee noted that the rehabilitation of the hospital would help address the aforementioned concerns that had affected service delivery in the hospital.

The Report indicated that the existing hospital structure was too old and despite the number of renovation works at the hospital, it was not enough to position the hospital for better delivery.

It therefore stressed the need for contractors to complete work on schedule to enhance its service delivery in the region.

The project when completed would improve access to maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health services, intensify the prevention and control of communicable diseases, improve institutional care, including mental health service delivery and promote healthy lifestyles among Ghanaians.