By Belinda Ayamgha, GNA
Accra, July 13, GNA - The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has inaugurated an Eleven-member Board of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) with a charge on members to help solve the present challenges facing the hospital, particularly the ‘no-bed syndrome.’
He said KBTH, being the country’s premier referral facility, was the go-to for many Ghanaians, thus, the spotlight on it during the recent reports of patients being turned away for lack of beds.
This, he said, underscored the premium that Ghanaians place on KBTH, with everyone wanting to come to the facility, even as a first point of call.
Speaking at the Inauguration of the Board at the KBTH on Friday, Mr. Agyeman-Manu said although there was a scarcity of resources, the Board must help to optimise the use of the available resources to address the challenges.
“Whether we have resources or not, we cannot ask our patients; to go back home and die, so we need to do a lot, either improvising or managing the little resources we have very efficiency and allocating the resources optimally to achieve the optimum value,” he stated.
He noted that although a referral facility, the hospital had compromised to receive and treat patients without referrals, a situation which had contributed to the congestion at the hospital and urged the new Board to find ways of addressing the issue.
“The efficiency with which things were done in the past seems to have gone down a little bit, with Korle-Bu and others sectors of the health sector, being in the news. But with the Board in place, over the next few months…they will have helped Korle-Bu to address its challenges as quickly as we can,” he said.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu said the new Accident and Emergency Centre, whose defects had been fixed and was currently being equipped, will help to partially address some of concerns of no-beds when commissioned next Friday by adding about 65 beds.
He also added that the Ministry was in the process of sourcing a software package for the hospital that will be used throughout the care system, from Out-Patient Department to the billing and even link billing to banks, in order to eliminate cash payments.
The system when in place, would increase the efficiency gains, make supervision easier and also bring down the cost of running the facility.
He urged the Board to eschew wrangling in the board room and be united in making decisions for the collective good.
Dr Bernard Oko Boye, Chairman of the Board, lauded the inauguration of Board at a time when Korle-Bu was in the news but noted that it was fortunate since challenges will bring out the best in them.
“It is fortunate because it is in challenges that you are able to bring out the best in actors who were called to act,” he said and pledged his commitment and skills to help the hospital.
He noted that the Board’s performance will depend on the whole team and on the trust, respect and candour with which they worked to chase the agenda and achieve the mission and vision of the facility, saying, they will rise to the call in order to justify the confidence that Ghanaians had reposed in them.
“We will work hard as a family; agree to disagree when necessary and to make sure that in the shortest possible time, this hospital becomes a favourite for most if not all Ghanaians. The “no-bed” syndrome will be worked hard at, so it can be eradicated as soon as possible,” he said.
The other members of the Board are Prof. Margaret Lartey, Dean of Relevant Medical School, Dr Samuel Asiamah, Medical Director and Acting CEO of KBTH, Mr Nuru-Deen Mohammed, Director of Administration, Ms. Rita Esi Aryee, Director of Nursing Services, Mr Bright Kwame Korkoryie, Director of Finance, and Mrs Elizabeth Bruce, Director of Pharmacy.
The rest are Ms. Radha Maria Odua Hackman, Mr. Jerry Ahmed Shaib and Dr Petrina Tekyi-Ankrah, who together with the Chairman are the President’s nominees. The CEO of KBTH, when appointed, will be the 11th Person.
GNA
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