Building New Hospitals in Accra: A Brief History of the Development of Medical Facilities in Ghana

Hospitals are important healthcare institutions that provide diagnostic services and medical treatment for patients. Hospitals also aid in the prevention of diseases by providing immunization services and screening. There are several hospitals in Accra, but they are not sufficient to meet the needs of the growing population. New hospitals need to be constructed. This article looks at some of the existing facilities, why new hospitals were needed, and how new hospitals came about. New hospitals need to be constructed because many current facilities do not have sufficient space or cannot accommodate new technology and expansion is needed to serve a growing population and meet demand from residents.

Why were new hospitals needed?

Ghana’s healthcare system is not as robust as it could be, and as a result, many people often travel to other countries for treatment. There are many factors that contribute to this, including inadequate health infrastructure and low numbers of healthcare workers, particularly doctors. There are several major hospitals in Ghana, including, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ridge Hospital and Polyclinic, the Komfo Anokye Hospital, the St. Johns Hospital and the Winneba Hospital. However, although there are a fair number of hospitals and health facilities in the country, they are not enough to serve the growing population. This means that many people have to travel to other countries for treatment, while others have to wait until they can get an appointment with a doctor.

New Hospitals in Accra: Which Ones are Currently Being Built?

Construction on two new hospitals started in 2018 - the Lotus Health hospital and the Ridge Hospital expansion. The Lotus Health hospital is expected to be completed in 2020, while the Ridge Hospital expansion, which is also expected to be complete in 2020. The other two planned hospitals, the Noguchi Memorial Hospital and the Nchi Health Hospital, are expected to be completed in 2021. These two hospitals will be built in Cape Coast and Kumasi respectively. The Cape Coast new hospital construction is expected to be completed in 2021, while the Kumasi new hospital construction will be completed in 2022. The development of these new hospitals will help to address the current challenges Ghana’s health system faces, particularly a shortage of space. Many of the country’s hospitals are overloaded, which means that people often have to wait weeks, or even months, to receive treatment and may also have to travel long distances to get to a hospital or clinic. New hospitals will also allow for the use of new medical technologies, such as MRI machines.

Locations for New Hospitals: where will they be built?

The locations for the new hospitals in Accra were decided after a study was conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) on the current state of Ghana’s health infrastructure. One of the recommendations for the new hospital locations was to distribute them across the country geographically so that people in every part of the country have easy access to care. The study found that the greater Accra area has the highest population, while the Brong-Ahafo and the Ashanti regions have the least number of people. Rather than building hospitals in areas with the lowest population, the new hospitals will be built in Accra and the Eastern Region. This will help to address the current imbalances in the distribution of hospitals in Ghana. The new hospitals will also be built near the current major hospitals, but in areas that are sparsely populated.

Challenges for New Hospital Construction in Ghana

Ghana has a shortage of trained architects, engineers, and other skilled construction workers, which means that construction firms will have to source skilled personnel from elsewhere. The construction of the hospital in Cape Coast is expected to cost $25 million, while the cost of the Kumasi hospital is estimated at $30 million. There may be shortages of funds for the project, especially since the cost of construction is expected to rise once the government starts contracting companies to build the hospitals.

Conclusion

The construction of new hospitals in Ghana is important to the country’s health system for several reasons. One of the main reasons it is important is that it will enable healthcare professionals to use new medical technologies, such as MRI machines. Since the current hospitals are overcrowded, having more hospitals will allow more people to receive treatment and will also help to eliminate long waiting times. New hospitals are also an important symbol of Ghana’s development, both in terms of its economy and its population’s welfare.