Authorities’ at the Tema General Hospital (TGH) have appealed to government to equip the hospital’s mortuary to enable it preserve corpses for clinical and pre-burial services.
The Director of the Tema General Hospital, Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, made the appeal when Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahinkorah, New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Tema West parliamentary candidate, presented medical equipment to the hospital.
Dr. Opoku-Adusei noted that “a mortuary without fridges and other logistics is just a building”.
He said even though the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has done well to put up the structure to replace the dilapidated old mortuary, it could not function without a fridge.
He explained that the huge cost involved in the procurement of the mortuary equipment cannot be borne by TGH internally generated funds.
The TGH Director added that in as much as individuals and organisations help the hospital with consumables, the onus lies on the government to ensure that the hospital functions.
The ultra-modern mortuary building was built by the TMA and was expected to have a capacity of 1,000 bodies, offices, changing rooms, washing rooms, embalming areas, Muslim area, pay point and a reception.
The building which has been completed, was currently not operational.
The hospital still uses the dilapidated mortuary which was once closed down due to serious structural defects.
Dr. Opoku-Adusei also called for the adoption of the hospital and it’s rebuilding as was done to the Ridge Hospital for it to be upgraded to a teaching hospital since it had enough land for such purpose.
He added that the trend of renovating the cracks in the structures must stop and the hospital rebuilt, describing the place as a makeshift hospital.
He further questioned why plans for the hospital to have a nursing training school was abandoned and rather students from other schools are referred to the hospital for practicals.
The Director reminded the government that the hospital was the only referral point serving about 50 communities and 900,000 people in and around Tema.
SOURCE: GNA