Employees of the Health Services Workers Union at Kumasi South Hospital have expressed strong opposition to the appointment of Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso, a former Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), to their institution.
A communication from the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, revealed the decision to assign Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso to a two-year contract as a Consultant specializing in Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery at Kumasi South Hospital.
Although the official notice has not yet reached the hospital’s management, certain staff members have raised concerns regarding the appointment of the former KATH CEO.
Joshua Lawrence Nii Adu Arday, the Vice Chairman of the Health Services Workers Union at Kumasi South Hospital, stated their intention to resist the appointment, citing reservations about Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso’s suitability for the role.
“We’ve heard reports, even on social media, about Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso’s potential transfer to Kumasi South Hospital. If these reports are accurate, then we are not in favor of his appointment. He is a plastic surgeon, and we question his relevance here. We have capable individuals who can manage the affairs of this hospital. Furthermore, he is 65 years old. What exactly is his purpose in coming here?”
Mr Arday clarified that their opposition is not against the government’s aim of increasing staff numbers at the hospital.
Agogo Hospital which is serving as the Ashanti regional hospital in Kumasi, is experiencing a rise in tension due to the reappointment of Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso.
In 2017, President Akufo Addo appointed Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso as the acting CEO of the Teaching Hospital.
He was subsequently confirmed as the CEO for the facility with a four-year mandate to oversee the day-to-day operations of Ghana’s second premier health center.
Upon the completion of his initial four-year term, Dr. Owusu-Danso’s service was extended by an additional two years, culminating in 2022.
Following his retirement, the government appointed Prof. Dr. Dr. Ochere Addai Mensah, the former Dean of Students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to succeed him.
The reappointment of Dr. Owusu-Danso has triggered tensions within Agogo South Hospital.
An autopsy report has revealed that the 26-year-old woman who was fatally shot by his Police boyfriend, Victoria Dapaah, known as Maadwoa, sustained multiple entry and exit wounds from the incident.
Inspector Ahmed Twumasi allegedly used his firearm to commit the act in Adum, a suburb of the Ashanti Regional capital, from which the bullets were fired.
As per the autopsy report conducted by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the deceased sustained six bullet entry wounds and seven exit wounds.
During the murder case proceedings against the inspector at a Kumasi High Court on July 26, the report detailing the autopsy findings was presented as evidence. It revealed that the deceased suffered six bullet entry wounds and seven exit wounds.
The report added that the deceased died of haemorrhagic shock due to multiple gunshot injuries. Pathologists described the manner of death as “unnatural”.
An Asaase Radio report added that prosecutors told the court that six spent shells and a nine-millimetre service rifle allegedly used by Inspector Ahmed Twumasi to commit the crime were obtained at the scene.
The exhibits which also included a swab stick with blood samples obtained at the scene have been forwarded to the police forensic laboratory for examination.
The inspector has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder even as family relations who often throng the court during sittings express high hopes that a conviction will be secured at the end of the trial.
Two doctors from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi have faced suspension for extorting money from patients.
Each of the doctors has been suspended without pay for a duration of one month. While one of the doctors has already served their suspension, the other doctor’s suspension will commence from today.
Professor Otchere Yaw Addai-Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH, revealed this information during a courtesy visit to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
The purpose of the visit was to introduce himself and the hospital’s management to the Asantehene, as Professor Addai-Mensah assumed office six months ago.
Discipline
Prof. Addai-Mensah told the Asantehene that when he took over the management of the hospital, his first priority was to inject discipline into the work ethics of the facility as part of efforts to make the hospital customer-centred.
He noted that some of the clinics were also not starting work on time, thus prolonging the waiting period for patients.
The CEO of KATH said with the support of the Board of Directors, measures had been put in place and now all clinics “start work at 8 a.m.”
To ensure proper supervision on holidays and weekends, Prof. Addai-Mensah said directors at the hospital had been scheduled on a roster such that there were always two directors on duty every weekend and on statutory holidays to guarantee seamless flow of work and proper supervision.
Prof. Addai-Mensah said even though the military had agreed to relocate and give the land to the hospital, there was the need for funding to relocate the military facilities to a new place “and the money involved is quite huge.”
No need for money
However, in his response, Otumfuo Osei Tutu explained that the military had already been relocated and the hospital would not have to pay for the land again.
The Asantehene said the issue had been discussed with the President and the Minister of Defence and “the issue has already been sorted out and you don’t have to pay any money to them for the land.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said if there would be the need for any money “maybe to build new schools but that has to be handled by the Ministry of Defence.”
Commendation
The Asantehene commended the new CEO for starting on a good note and urged him to continue in that stead.
Although Otumfuo said he was yet to visit the facility, he said he had heard about the transformation brought to the place and commended Prof. Addai-Mensah for the feat.
“No matter what you do, some people would not be happy with you and would surely step on your toes. But if you would have to displease two people to satisfy eight people, go ahead and do it,” the Asantehene implored.
The CEO was accompanied by the Board Chairman, Nana Effah Appenten, all members of the board, the Bompatahene, Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Charles Dontoh and the Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Prof. Daniel Ansong.
In a remarkable display of medical expertise, a multidisciplinary team comprising surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, and nurses, led by Dr Dominic Konadu-Yeboah, Senior Specialist in Trauma and Orthopaedics, carried out a six-hour procedure to address a challenging congenital limb abnormality known as polymelia in a five-month-old infant.
The procedure took place at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after the hospital was contacted four hours following the baby’s caesarean section delivery at a district hospital.
The infant suffered from multiple health conditions, including polymelia, anorectal malformation, genital fistula, eye vision impairment, and improper location of the right kidney.
Polymelia is a rare limb deformity characterized by the presence of extra or supernumerary limbs attached to a portion of the body.
It affects approximately 6 out of every 10,000 live newborns. Although occurrences mainly involve the lower limbs, there have been a few recorded cases. The condition is believed to result from the inadequate separation of identical twins in the womb during fetal development. When the additional limbs are attached to the pelvis, it is referred to as pyromelia.
Dr. Konadu-Yeboah highlighted that the parents were extensively informed about the baby’s condition before the surgery, praising the team’s extraordinary achievement. Additionally, a group of professionals provided psychological counselling to the family, addressing the surgery, its outcomes, and potential side effects.
The complex surgical repair procedure took place on February 20, 2023, following five months of intensive preparations and pre-operative investigations, including Computer Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), echo, and ultrasound scans to identify any associated abnormalities.
Dr. Konadu-Yeboah stated, “The immediate and intermediate postoperative periods have been managed without any complications, and the baby is steadily recovering as expected. Further minor procedures and surgical interventions will be conducted to completely restore normal functioning to the baby.”
Previously, infants with similar conditions were either abandoned or left to perish, according to Dr. Konadu-Yeboah.
However, he emphasized that immediate specialized interventions offer these infants a chance to live normal lives, given the present medical knowledge available at KATH and in the nation.
The baby’s parents expressed their satisfaction with the results thus far, praising the surgical team and all the staff members involved in their child’s successful operation.
Members of the multidisciplinary team included trauma and orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Obiageli Joan Ofungwu, Johnny Sobotie, Kwasi Twumasi-Baah Jr., and Samuel Twene Boadi, alongside pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, nurses, and other specialists. Notable contributors to the team included Drs. Boateng Nimako, Prof. Paul Poku Sampene Ossei, Drs. Ebenezer Akomea-Agyin, Anthony Davor, George Osei Prempeh, Sophia Ankrah, Yaw Asiedu Basoah, Gabriel Asante, Abigail Opoku, and Yaw Asiedu Basoah.
Other esteemed members of the KATH faculty, who played crucial roles, were Drs. Michael Amoah, Lynda Akalazu Ogechi, Zulfawu Ibrahim, Helena Okrah, and Seth Agyemang.
Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, the hospital’s CEO, praised Dr. Konadu-Yeboah and the entire team for their successful execution of such a complex surgery. He highlighted that this accomplishment showcases the power of teamwork and urged all clinical director.
Construction works on three major projects in the Ashanti Region have been halted due to a lack of funds.
The projects include phase two of the Kumasi International Airport, phase two of the Kejetia Central Market redevelopment project, and the 500-bed capacity Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Citi News sources indicate the Finance Ministry has since December 2022 not been releasing funds towards the construction of the projects which has led to some 2000 workers being laid off.
Many residents in Kumasi fear that just like many other projects in the past, work could be abandoned on the three projects and have thus urged authorities to find a way of ensuring work resumes as early as possible.
The Mayor of Kumasi, Samuel Pyne in an interview with Citi News said the projects have been put on hold because of the government’s ongoing debt restructuring as part of the IMF support the country is seeking.
“I don’t want to use the word stalled because it has been put on hold purposely because the government is doing a restructuring of our debt profile and most of these contracts fall under the projects that have been put on hold, and it is not only the Kumasi Central Market phase two nor the Maternity and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Work will resume after the completion of the debt restructuring programme.”
Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe, has lauded the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Mrs. Irene Addo Lartey, for completing an office block for the Local Government Service.
Provision of the edifice, he said, is in line with Government’s agenda to deepen decentralization in response to Article 20 of the Constitution.
The Service, he said, is being equipped with the necessary facilities to enable it to accomplish its obligations.
These remarks were contained in a solidarity message delivered on behalf of the Minister at the commissioning of the new office block for the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) on Wednesday 5th April 2023.
Dan Botwe disclosed that since the establishment of the Local Government Service, one of its major challenges has been inadequate office accommodation.
The Management and staff of the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service, he said, have had to operate from limited office accommodation over the years.
He said, “It, therefore, comes as a relief to commission this ultramodern office facility, which is a result of the collaboration of the Ministry, the Office of the District Assembly Common Fund, and the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service.”
“I commend, the Administrator, Mrs. Irene Addo Lartey for her special interest and effort in seeing to the completion of this edifice.” He urged the Head of Service, his Management, and his staff to put to good use the support government has provided by constructing the Office Block.
He assured provision of the office accommodation should enable the Head of Service to deploy the appropriate human resource to perform to its maximum capacity.
He also urged the staff of the Service to utilize the facility proficiently and to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. He expressed hope the Office Block will position the OHLGS to collaborate effectively with the Ministry to drive the decentralization Agenda.
In his welcome address, the Head of the LGS, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur disclosed that one of the challenges the Service has had to deal with for the past years was limited space for staff to engage in their official business. He said a cursory walk through some of the offices of the OHLGS showed a picture of overcrowding and congestion, which had an adverse effect on the productivity of staff and did not also auger well for an institution that had the mandate of administrative decentralization in the country.
According to him, although the need for additional office space was long overdue, the completion of the block brings great relief to him as Head and the OHLGS as a whole.
“This new office block is a five-story building with features that have been designed to include interactive spaces for the comfort of staff and visitors alike.”
“And it will surprise you to know that with the hard work of the Contractor, this project was completed within 20 months at a cost of GH¢30 million,” he disclosed.
Dr. Ato Arthur thanked the government, the Minister, the DACF Administrator, the Contractor, the Consultant, and all who worked tirelessly toward the successful execution of the project.
To stop employees at theKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from using social media while at work, administrators have disabled the hospital’s computer systems.
The change is meant to maintain staff attention on patient care and raise the level of medical treatment provided at the hospital.
This is one of a number of measures and interventions implemented by the hospital’s administration to improve patient safety and comfort at the facility.
Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, says the lives of patients who visit the facility, which serves as a referral hospital, cannot be jeopardized.
He said they have blocked the hospital’s “[IT] system to YouTube and other social media platforms to prevent staff from possible loss of concentration on patient care through the use of such platforms.”
The CEO was speaking to department and division heads at the hospital’s end-of-year performance review conference inKumasi.
As part of his effort to engage his stakeholders, Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, the acting CEO of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), made a courtesy visit to Hon. Sam Pyne, the head of the Kumasi Metro.
The visit was to enable him formally introduce himself as the new CEO of the sole tertiary health facility in the Ashanti Region.
In his remarks, Prof. Addai-Mensah said KATH occupies a unique position in the healthcare delivery system of the country as it is saddled with the burden of treating tertiary healthcare referral needs of about 13 regions in Ghana.
He said with such an arduous responsibility, the hospital will require the support and assistance of all stakeholders to enable it effectively meet the expectations of the public.
“Unlike the Greater Accra Region which can boast of several specialist and referral facilities like Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Police Hospital, the 37 Military Hospital and University of Ghana Medical Center among others, the same cannot be said of the Ashanti region.
“KATH as a sole tertiary facility serving virtually the same population as Greater Accra will, therefore, require the maximum assistance of all stakeholders including the KMA in order to enhance its capacity to meet the growing specialist healthcare needs of the 13 regions out of the 16regions in the country” he emphasized.
Hon. Sam Pyne expressed confidence in the ability of the new CEO to turn around the fortunes of the hospital. He said KATH was a highly sensitive institution, but he was hopeful that given the caliber of Prof. Addai-Mensah, the hospital will witness a turnaround during his tenure of office. He pledged the readiness of KMA to support the management of the hospital in its drive to improve the operations of the hospital.
Prof.Addai-Mensah was accompanied on the visit by some members of his management team.
Staff of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have served notice that they will reject any appointment of non-permanent staff of the Hospital as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
This comes on the back of speculations within the premier hospital that the President in consultation with Ashanti Regional Executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is considering announcing the appointment of Prof. Okyere Addai Mensah as a successor to the retired CEO Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso.
The said notice from the staff read: “No KATH staff, No CEO; We are capable of managing our own affairs”
Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso retired last week after serving the referral facility for over 3 decades.
Kids Operating Room (KidsOR), a Scottish Global Health Charity, based in Edinburg, UK, has inaugurated two state-of-the-art paediatric surgical theatres for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), in Kumasi.
The facilities, furnished with approximately 6000 items of paediatric surgical equipment and consumables at the cost of $600,000.00, would help provide quality and timely surgical care, to reduce the infant mortality rate at the second-largest referral facility in the country.
The two theatres will also serve as training grounds for paediatric surgeons and anaesthetics to help increase the number of the paediatric health workforce in the country.
Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH speaking at the inauguration, said the facilities would help strengthen the paediatric unit which had been struggling over the years for improved facilities.
He promised to set up a protocol for proper maintenance culture of the facility for it to last longer.
Dr Michael Amoah, Senior specialist Paediatric Surgeon and Head of the Paediatric Surgery Unit, said the theatres were much needed to provide quality healthcare services to infants and children.
He said before the completion of the new theatres, the unit was able to perform between 40 and 45 surgeries a month, using adult-sized tools and equipment.
He said the new KidsOR operating rooms would help support electives and emergency surgeries and thus, reduce complications.
Additionally, they would enable surgeons to perform complex cases that would be presented to the facility.
Dr Charles Dally, Head of the Directorate of Surgery, said the facilities were a dream come into reality since they would enhance the efficient service delivery at the unit.
Ms Muthoni Wahome, KidsOR Representatives for Africa, pledged the organisation’s commitment to ensure that children whose conditions demanded surgeries were performed in an explicit manner and their lives saved.
The Breast Care Center at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti has raised red flags over the high prevalence of breast cancer in the region.
According to the center, breast cancers are on the astronomical rise in the Ashanti Region affecting hundreds of both men and women.
A Nursing Officer at KATH‘s Breast Care Center, Mariama Amadu said 90 percent of people who reported to the center for biopsy in the last three years turned out to be serious breast cancer cases.
Mariama Amadu was speaking on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s Health show, “Apomuden Ahotoso” on Sunday, October 9, 2022.
“The rate at which we are recording breast cancer in the past few years is frightening and should be of concern to all stakeholders”. She told host of the show, Kate Appiah Boateng (Radio Nurse).
Medical Check Up
Mariama Amadu urged Ghanaians to regularly do a self-examination of their breast and seek early treatment if they detect any anomalies.
“Early detection was the surest way to win the fight against breast cancer infections”.
She stressed the need for individuals to report any changes in their breasts at health facilities to ensure early treatment.
The nurse however pleaded with men to support their wives when they notice any changes in their breasts and not to abandon them.
Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi have resolved to embark on strike on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, over the failure of management to pay their car maintenance allowance and their 13th-month pay.
A statement by the doctors to the management of the facility sighted by Starr News said they had given management enough time to deal with their concerns but not much has been done.
The development comes on the back of the ongoing strike by university teachers in the country.
The strike is entering the 4th week.
Addressing the media during Meet the Press Series on Sunday, January 30, the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum said he is committed to ensuring that the concerns of UTAG are addressed so that they return to the classrooms as soon as possible.
According to him, his outfit is still engaging with the leadership of UTAG; as it seeks to resolve the impasse with the union.
“Our University lecturers are on strike, but we continue to engage them as to how best we can get them back. As a Minister of Education, I have said I am a chief advocate for teachers and professors and when we find ourselves in this place. I do everything possible formally and informally, to make sure we come to some resolution.
“As we did the last time, we hope it will happen this time around. So we will continue to engage them to make sure that we can bring a resolution to this problem,†Dr. Adutwum reiterated.
An Accounts Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital dismissed after alleging misuse of COVID-19 donations by the hospital management has sued the hospital over what he says is wrongful termination of his appointment.
Mr Awuni Akyireba has asked the court to set aside the decision by the Governing Board of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to dismiss him.
According to a Citi News report sighted by GhanaWeb, the suit is scheduled to be heard on January 28, 2022.
The management of the hospital denied the claims while the results of the Commission’s investigation has been made public.
However, in announcing its decision to dismiss Mr Akireba, the hospital said he breached its code of conduct.
According to the Board of the Hospital, his action is “reprehensible and unacceptable”.
Meanwhile, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Kwame Frimpong, says the hospital is yet to be served with the suit.
“We will look at it tomorrow [Wednesday] if it is available and forward it to our lawyers, and he should expect a robust response from the hospital,” he stated in an interview with Citi News.
Mr Frimpong, however, affirmed the hospital’s position on the allegation of misappropriation.
“Management has on several occasions accounted for how these donations were utilised. Again, there have been two independent audits of these funds.”
He further denied allegations of witch-hunting by the hospital targeted at the former Accounts Officer.
“There is no staff in this hospital who has had that opportunity to amend his or her conduct. So it is not true that there is a witch-hunt against him.”
According to the management of KATH in an earlier statement, Mr Akyireba had been cited in other acts of misconduct and was said to have used “abusive language” towards a superior.
He is also accused of avoiding physical service of an invitation to appear before a Disciplinary Committee.
“For avoiding physical service of invitation to appear before the Disciplinary Committee and eventually failing/refusing to appear despite glaring evidence that you saw the invitation, you commit a major offence under the Code,” the letter said.
Surgeons at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi are protesting over the unsafe used for surgeries.
The Surgeons are also complaining about the lack of basic equipment at the Surgery department. They claim that several complaints lodged with the management have not been resolved adding that the unsafe surgery could lead to deaths if the department is not refurbished immediately.
Speaking on Abusua FM on Friday, Dr Anthony Davor, a Pediatric surgeon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, said basic equipment to treat children and critical emergencies are outdated and not fit for purpose.
“We have complained about several of these issues for a very long time but nothing happens. Sometimes they pretend to fix the challenges and then they suddenly stop. Our surgeries are not safe, they are not safe at all.
“We don’t intend to embarrass anybody but the main issue is that our patients must be safe when they come for surgeries. What we need is the basic equipment to work. Our water heater broke down on January 3, it was only fixed last week after several complaints. In the ICU there are no even fans there but we work in the heat all the same.”
Meanwhile, the PRO of the Hospital, Kwame Frimpong in response said, the management has put in place measures to address several of the issues raised by the Doctors. He added that the theatre will be renovated this year.
Mr Frimpong added that the management of the Hospital has made several investments over the years in ensuring the hospital is safe for both patients and doctors to work at. He also urged the Doctors to exhaust internal communication channels before moving to air their grievances to the media.
The protests by Doctors at KATH come after a renowned Neurosurgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital appealed to the Akufo-Addo led government to abandon the plan to construct some 100 new hospitals and focus on investing the money in the establishment of a neuroscience centre.
Speaking on the Morning Starr on Wednesday, Dr Hadi Abdallah told host Francis Abban that building a neuroscience centre which the country lacks will help save hundreds of lives being lost on a daily basis at Korle Bu.
He added that building new regional and district hospitals without first constructing a major neuroscience centre will put more pressure on the already choked Korle Bu.
“I am calling on the government of Ghana to postpone the construction of the 111 health care centres or the district hospitals, at least forgo 10 of them and use that to build the neuroscience centre. Because if you build the neuroscience centre it is going to free up the spaces at the accident centre and the emergencies.
“If you go and build these district hospitals they will still be referring cases to Korle bu, Neuroscience doesn’t have space. So I am hoping that this is what we would do.”
The Rose Agyei-Tabi Foundation, a charity organisation based in Kumasi has teamed up with the Royal Golf Club to support needy cancer patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The support in the form of a cash donation of Nine Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 9,000.00) will be used to pay the bills of needy patients at the Cancer treatment centre.
The cash donation was realized through two golf competitions organized in 2018 and 2019 to raise cancer awareness among golfers and to raise funds to support. Both events had educational sessions on prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.
The events were also used to encourage golfers to give towards the needy and vulnerable in society. At a short presentation ceremony at the Royal Golf Club, Mr Jonas Tabi, the Founder and President of the Rose Agyei-Tabi Foundation, indicated that the donation was going to be an annual affair.
He thanked the Royal Golf Club for their support and partnership in organising the tournament and also raising funds for the foundation. Mr Tabi was also grateful for the support received from Goil Kenyase and Tafo.
Mr Adrian Dand, who represented the Management of Royal Golf Club, was full of praise for the foundation and golfers at the club for their various cash donations. He used the occasion to call on other golf clubs to support such worthy courses in their local communities.
Receiving the cash donation on behalf of KATH, Dr Osei-Bonsu, a Consultant Radiation Oncologist and Head of Oncology Directorate thanked the foundation and the club.
He indicated that the donation will be used to settle the hospital bills of needy cancer patients who are receiving treatment at the hospital. He commended Mr. Tabi for his vision and called on other individuals and organisations to emulate his example.
He also called on the management and golfers at the club to visit the centre to see at first hand the plight of many needy cancer patients who require treatment and cannot afford to meet the cost.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi on Monday, received three Savina 300 Ventilators and suction machine to manage COVID-19 patients admitted in the facility.
Contracta Construction UK Limited, contractors of the new Kejetia market in Kumasi, donated two of the machines at the cost of 60,000 Euros, while GOIL Company, presented one, at the cost of GHC150,000.00.
Mr. Jorge Taveres de Almeida, Project Director of Contracta Limited and Mr. Augustine Boateng, Middle Belt Zonal Manager for GOIL, who made a joint presentation to the Hospital, said the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibilities of their respective companies towards helping KATH to effectively manage and treat COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Oheneba OwusuDanso, Chief Executive of KATH, stressed the need for efficient and robust ventilators to help manage highly infectious diseases including COVID-19.
He mentioned that government had awarded the Child and Maternity Unit that had been abandoned for a long time for contract to be completed to help ease congestion at the facility.
Dr Owusu-Danso said due to the unique location of the KATH, critically and severely ill patients were transferred from all parts of the country for treatment.
He said KATH was currently focusing on the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients, while additional operational facilities were being searched for to admit other patients for treatment.
Dr. Owusu-Danso called on other organizations to support the Hospital to provide quality care to patients.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is operating at half capacity after majority of its doctors and nurses were exposed to a COVID-19 case.
A memo dated Friday, June 12, from the Head of Directorate to the Medical Director of the KATH said the health workers have thus been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The ICU would therefore not run at full capacity for the next 14 days due to the reduced number of staff, the memo said.
“Most of our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Doctors and Nurses got exposed to Polytrauma patient on admission in the ICU who tested positive for COVID-19. The risk assess puts most of them at high-risk exposure and have self-quarantined for 14 days,†the memo said.
KATH in the memo said in view of that, an urgent management meeting was held and the duty has been modified such that:
1. The remaining Doctors will do cover for emergencies and obstetric cases only at NAKSA Theatre
2. The ICU will not run at full capacity for 14 days
Ghana’s COVID-19 cases as at Tuesday, June 16, stood at 11,964 with 4,258 recoveries and 54 deaths.
Of the total number of cases, the Ashanti Region has 2,205 cases.
Twenty-six staff of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, have tested positive for COVID-19, ClassFMonline.com has learnt from sources familiar with the situation.
It is, however, unclear if they got infected at the hospital or outside the health post.
The management of the hospital is investigating the cases which have been isolated and being treated as contact-tracing takes place.
Meanwhile, the number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in Ghana is now 2,540, the Ghana Health Services reported on Saturday, 30 May 2020.
Also, the death toll has increased from 34 to 35.
Additionally, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country is now up to 7,768.
The government procured €138 million in funding to complete the project.
The almost 1000 bed maternity and child health block which started in 1974 was to help deal with the serious congestion on the existing facility.
The project was initiated and started by the General Kutu Acheampong National Redemption Council’s (NRC) government and abandoned by successive governments.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has closed its Pediatric Emergency Unit (PEU) to new admissions, effective immediately.
The decision was taken after a patient referred to the facility from the Tafo Government Hospital who had been on admission tested positive for coronavirus.
This comes after almost all staff at a ward in the facility were made to self-quarantine after a staff tested positive for the disease on April 30, 2020.
In a communique cited by JoyNews, the Head, Department of Child Health said the new case has caused additional 26 staff to go into self-quarantine effective today May 5, 2020.
The Department has decided, following a meeting that the “PEU is closing its doors to all new admissions with immediate effect for one week.
“That all exposed staff should self-quarantine for two weeks from the date of last contact with the positive Covid-19 case.â€
All new PEU admission cases will be transferred to other pediatric health services in the Metropolis.
The blood transfusion unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is in a dire state as blood stocks is at its lowest in the only tertiary referral facility in the middle belt of Ghana.
The unit is unable to pool blood from schools, religious institutions and other organized bodies as these institutions which form its regular sources are shut because of COVID 19 restrictions.
The hospital has been forced to set up donation sites at its blood transfusion unit and the Kumasi City Mall to avert any emergency health crisis.
“Blood Service cannot predict blood supply needs during a pandemic like we have. However a sufficient blood supply must remain available so that we can treat our patients,†a clearly frustrated head of the Blood Transfusion Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Dr Shirley Ofori Owusu bemoaned.
“Some pregnant women still bleed excessively, cancer patients are still on treatment, Children are being rushed to hospitals with severe anaemia, accidents are still happening and people still need blood,†she described.
KATH needs 70 to 80 units of blood on the average every day with the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Cancer Unit, Surgical Wards and the Accident and Emergency Centre taking a huge chunk.
Speaking to Ultimate News at the Kumasi City Mall donation site, Senior Blood Donation Organizer Bernard Arhin, however, indicated that the team was not meeting their targets.
“Currently as I speak, we are expecting about 70 to 80 units of blood but anytime we come, we are not able to meet our targets and we are still encouraging people to come around to donate,†he beckoned.
Meanwhile some spirited residents of Kumasi who heeded the call told reporter Ivan Heathcote Fumador, how urgent people need to volunteer to save lives.
A young man averred, “I am someone who is afraid of needles but anytime I hear them call, I try and take part because you might not know when a brother or sister might be in need.â€
The reality, however, stares glare that until several persons move in to donate blood, emergency health care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital remains in limbo.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is rallying national support to fix its equipment deficit as COVID-19 bites the facility hard.
The facility has been overstretched over the last month with its 25-bed makeshift Highly Infectious Unit, created to handle only those who are critically ill from COVID-19, under pressure due to the number of cases in the region.
The Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Dr Oheneba Danso, said during a donation by the Forestry Commission to the facility that due to the central location of KATH, it took care of people from the middle and northern belts, adding that that had caused the facility to work under intense pressure.
Equipment
Dr Danso said: “For now, due to the lack of equipment, our main focus is those who are critically ill and how to assist them in their breathing.
“We have forwarded our request to the central government through the Ministry of Health and we are optimistic help will come soon,” he said.
Currently, the Intensive Care Unit of KATH is taking care of both patients of COVID-19 as well as others suffering from other illnesses, bringing the facility under intense stress.
Dr Danso called for “an upgrade of the intensive care unit” to be able to handle the current situation, aside from the newly created makeshift 25-bed unit for highly infectious diseases.
He said the use of basic equipment, including overalls for doctors and sanitisers, had tripled since the outbreak of the pandemic, adding that “this calls for urgent and immediate intervention to save the situation.â€
Donation
The commission, led by its Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr John Allotey, presented 20 pieces of infrared thermometer and a cheque for GH¢200,000 to the hospital.
The donation followed a request made by the facility for support to purchase some of the critical equipment to treat patients.
Mr Allotey said the presentation was one of many that the commission was undertaking in “these trying moments” as its contribution to saving the situation.
A similar donation had been made to the Tema General Hospital, he added.
The Coronavirus outbreak has forced the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to suspend all Out Patient Department (OPD) services.
Reports also indicate that several specialist clinics will also be shut to the public and this is part of measures by the hospital to avoid the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
KATH treats about 1000 patients every day and this comes as a big blow to the indigenes.
KATH has two OPDs, the Special Care OPD and the Primary Care OPD.
The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has now passed 200,000, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The total is now 201,530 confirmed cases and 8,007 deaths.
China still has the highest number of confirmed cases (81,102), while Italy has the second-highest with 31,506.
Ghana on Tuesday recorded its 7th coronavirus case and the Ghana Health Service is expected to brief the nation on that.
Currently, all outdoor events including funerals, church activities and naming ceremonies have been suspended.
Schools have also been asked to close down for a period of 4 weeks.
These, according to Akufo-Addo, forms part of precautionary measures to fight the virus and prevent any more spread after the 7 confirmed cases in Ghana.
The Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi is to start cosmetic and breast enhancement surgeries, at the facility this month.
As part of the preparations, the Unit will from February 10th to 15th this year, hold “a maiden international breast intervention and aesthetic forumâ€, in Kumasi to create public awareness about the procedure.
Dr. Paa Ekow Hoyte-Williams, Head of Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, told the Ghana News Agency that the open forum aimed at demystifying the procedure and educate the public on cosmetic surgery, what it is and what is not.
He said the surgeries would be performed by renowned plastic surgeons and team of experts including Prof. Pius Agbenorku, Dr. Emmanuel Adu, Dr. Joseph Akpaloo and Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso, who is also the Chief Executive of the Hospital.
He encouraged the public to take advantage of the forum to ask questions and seek clarifications on all issues concerning breast enhancement and cosmetic surgeries.
Dr. Hoyte-Williams also appealed to ladies interested in breast enhancement – increase breast size, breast lifting or breast reconstruction after mastectomy (creating new breast after cancer treatment) to contact the Unit for assistance.
