Residents of Tamale have commended government for showing sensitivity and high level of commitment towards the health needs of the people. The government is currently rehabilitating, expanding and upgrading the completely dilapidated Tamale Teaching Hospital, which serves as the only referral, research and training facility in the whole of the three Northern Regions of Ghana.
Speaking to Savannahnews, the President of the Concerned Citizens of Tamale (CCAT), Alhassan Basharu Daballi commended President John Evans Atta Mills for responding positively to earlier agitations by the Chiefs and the various concerned groups, which he said were in the supreme interest of the entire people up north.
He said majority of the residents, especially the members of the Concerned Citizens of Tamale, some chiefs and other pressure groups agitated and embarked on series of demonstrations against the past government for unduly delaying its promise to upgrade the Hospital. However, the NDC government cut sod for renovation works to begin in first 8 month in office.
According to Mr. Daballi, he and his members had secretly visited the Tamale Teaching Hospital to inspect the project and however praised the contractors, Messrs Simed International, a Dutch company for their excellent work.
The President of the CCAT, pledged the full support of the Chief and people of Tamale to the contractors to ensure that they work with utmost peace of mind, but he was quick to warn that they would not hesitate to protest against them, if they fail to deliver on time.
President John Evans Atta Mills cut the sod for the commencement of the 45 million Euro project, in April 2010 and it is expected to be completed in 56 months. The Tamale Teaching Hospital was built in somewhere 1974, and has since not received any major rehabilitation. However, the first phase of the four phases is almost complete.
Mr. Daballi disclosed that, they have reliable information that the only difficulty facing the contractors was the issue of inadequate supply of water to the project site and therefore appealed to the Ghana Water Company Limited to pick up the issue.
He said the Chief of Tamale, Naa Dakpema Alhassan Mohammed Dawuni has personally informed the water company about the problem after visiting the project site to interact with the contractors.
However, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ken Sagoe who also commended government for the initiative, told the paper that the rehabilitation and expansion of the Hospital was in four phases.
He said the project was expected to add over one thousand additional beds to the existing 400 beds, provide a 60 unit residential accommodation for staff, a clinical training centre, modern laboratories and research facilities.
Dr. Ken Sagoe also noted that the upgrading would offer the hospital the opportunity to achieve its mandate as a teaching hospital, and its vision of becoming a centre of excellence for quality tertiary healthcare, medical education and research.
He noted that the Management of the Hospital has taken steps to secure the Hospital’s land with fence wall to avoid encroachments from the nearby residents.
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