Tepa, Kumawu, Konongo and Fomena Hospitals To Offer Specialised Care- Otumfuo Informed

Four health facilities in the Ashanti Region are set to be transformed into specialty hospitals, the Director of the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, has informed the Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The transformation will take place at Tepa, Kumawu, Konongo and Fomena hospitals.

“In the Ashanti Region we have new facilities at Tepa, Kumawu, Konongo and Fomena. After an observation, we decided to go into soft spot specialty based on their locations,” he said while briefing the Asantehene on developments in the health care system.

The directorate intends to make Tepa hospital a urology centre, Formena Hospital a fertility and reproductive centre and Konongo and Kumawu Trauma and Accident Centres.

“We want to undertake some changes especially at Tepa Hospital. We have assigned Urologist to the facility. A bit of changes have taken place there and we have started sensitising all staff.”

Operationalised Facilities
Dr Adomako-Boateng also informed Otumfuo that vamed facilities in four districts had been operationalised.

“They are located at Suame, Sabronum, Drobonso, Manso Nkwanta and Twedie. Each is a 40-bed capacity. They are all been opened for about two months now. We have posted doctors and pharmacists there but they are not enough.”

Maternal Mortality
Recalling the 199 mortality recorded in 2024, he said investigation had established and identified the gaps and challenges causing these.

He said three measures were being adopted in collaboration with KATH and others partners to deal with the canker.

He explained, “We have collaborated to do three things: Vertical mentorship. It seems all the doctors are concentrated in KATH with scarcity in other facilities so we will map them to the facilities to mentor them. UNICEF will support us in this.”

“Despite the strategic nature of KATH, the number of beds remain the same. We have found that referrals are not coordinated because patients referred there always exceed the bed capacity. We will be doing what is called Telemedicine where we will create a virtual labour room so that if the woman in labour is at Fomena, staff at Komfo Anokye will be able to monitor her.”

According to him, these policies will be put together within the next months.

Outbreak
Using the recent outbreak of cholera and Mpox as benchmark, he asserted that there had been an improvement.

“With Cholera, we recorded only two outbreaks and no deaths. We recorded 10 for Mpox. Compared to Western North and Greater Accra, we have improved.”

Challenge
He also highlighted staff accomodation as a lingering challenge to personnel posted to areas like Tepa, Formena, Kumawu, Konongo and Ejura Sekyeredumase.

“We post staff there however accomodation stands as a challenge.”

He thereby pleaded with the Asantehene for land to establish facilities to accommodate and enhance their work.

He added, “In the next four or five years, we intend to build this centre of excellence for Ashanti Region so it won’t be confined to only Komfo Anokye. We want to bring quality health services closer to residents.”

Health Care Service Critical
In his speech, Otumfuo affirmed the critical nature of health care and pledged to do his part to enhance it.

He further directed the Regional Health Director to document all the challenges and submit to his Office for the needed attention and response.

Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/