Minister Opens KOICA Funded Infectious Disease Treatment Centre in Tamale

Dep. Health Minister, K.A. Gyedu

A Deputy Minister for Health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, has inaugurated an Infectious Disease Treatment Centre (IDTC) at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region of Ghana. 

The construction of the IDTC, which was financed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) at a cost of GH₵1.5 million cedis, unfortunately lacks the requisite equipment needed to enable the facility start full operation.

“As we will soon tour the facility you will notice that the centre is not quite fully ready for use. More work needs to be done, both in the areas of civil works and equipment……This centre is not walled and hence not secure and safe. There is no access road linking this building to the hospital or any major road for easy mobility and access, especially during emergencies.

“This place is situated in a lowland area and is therefore flood-prone. Extensive external works, including further filling, paving and drainage are needed to prevent the centre from flooding during the rainy season….Also, with training as part of its intended functions, the centre will need training equipment” Dr. David Azaawomya Akolbila, Chief Exective Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital said these at a short ceremony to inaugurate the IDTC.

Dr. Akolbila appealed to KOICA and the Ministry of Health to consider providing the needed resources to help find tune this centre into a state of the art facility to carry out its functions effectively and efficiently.

CEO of TTH, Dr. David A. Akolbila

“I wish to appeal to KOICA again, the honourable Regional Minister and the Metropolitan Chief Executive to consider extending an access road to this centre and also provide a gated fence wall to secure the premises”, he added.

The CEO of the Tamale Teaching Hospital commended the Korea government for providing funds for the construction of the centre which is expected to serve the entire Northern Ghana. 

The Deputy Minister for Health, Mr Gyedu said the facility would contribute immensely to preparedness towards public health emergencies such as communicable diseases of epidemic nature.

He acknowledged the fact that the IDTC would need competent staff and appropriate equipment to ensure effective and efficient delivery of suitable services to clients sent to the centre.

Mr. Gyedu urged all health staff in the three regions of the North to take cognizance of the centre and cooperate to make the construction of the centre meaningful and functional.

The IDTC can host more than 16 beds. It has a water tanker, equipped with an ambulance bay and is separated into green, yellow and red zones as prescribed by the World Health Organisation in the wake of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.

It is the first and only infectious disease isolation centre in the Northern part of Ghana, and it is envisioned to improve the country’s emergency preparedness and response plan on infectious disease for the population it covers.

KOICA Country Director Yukyum Kim reiterated a statement made by the Korean Ambassador Mr. Sung Soo Kim during the recent 40^th anniversary celebration of bilateral relations with Ghana saying “the government of Korea will continue to be Ghana’s closest partner in development”.

Mr. Kim announced that, as one of the signatories to the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), the government of the Republic of Korea through KOICA would continue to support Ghana infectious disease preparedness under the GHSA umbrella starting from 2018 to 2020, particularly in laboratory strengthening and workforce development.

He implored the management and staff of the Tamale Teaching Hospital to properly maintain the IDTC facility and equipment so that they would last longer.