The Social Investment Fund (SIF) on Wednesday handed over the project site to a contractor for the renovation and expansion of the University of Ghana’s Department of Medical Microbiology Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The handover marks the commencement of construction works under the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP).

The project, funded from a US$28.5 million grant provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB), aims to significantly strengthen Ghana’s capacity for biomedical research, training, and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The renovation and expansion works, to be undertaken by Promancon Consult, are expected to be completed within nine months.

Speaking at the site handover ceremony in Accra, Professor Alfred Yawson, Provost of the University of Ghana Medical School, said the upgraded facility would host a Peptide and Antimicrobial Resistance Centre to enhance research efforts in combating drug-resistant bacteria.

He noted that the project would play a critical role in training graduate students and advancing high-quality biomedical and scientific research.

Prof. Yawson said the expanded centre was envisioned as a hub for innovative infectious disease research in West Africa, with a strong focus on post-COVID-19 priorities, including vaccine development, therapeutics and advanced clinical diagnostics.

“The havoc that COVID-19 wreaked on the nation showed the need to invest in sophisticated scientific research that improves the quality of our work,” he said.

He added that the centre would support the national vaccine production agenda and enhance services provided to patients, particularly given Korle-Bu’s status as Ghana’s largest referral hospital.

Prof. Yawson further noted that the strategic location of the facility within the hospital would strengthen the link between research, training and patient care. He emphasised the importance of completing the project on schedule, to the highest quality standards, and with due consideration for gender sensitivity, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

Mr Prosper Puo-Ire, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund, said the project reflected the Government of Ghana’s vision of strengthening national resilience and preparedness against future public health emergencies.

He explained that the PSDPEP was designed to enhance skills, infrastructure and institutional readiness, ensuring that Ghana would be better equipped to protect its citizens and manage future outbreaks.

“This is one of the major pillars of the post-COVID-19 project, aimed at enhancing Ghana’s readiness, not only for ourselves but also to position the country as a support hub for the sub-region,” he said.

Mr Puo-Ire expressed confidence in the capacity of the University of Ghana and the Department of Medical Microbiology to effectively utilise the upgraded facility and pledged SIF’s commitment to working with development partners to mobilise additional resources.

He urged contractors and consultants to treat the project as a national responsibility, stressing the need for timely delivery, strict adherence to specifications and value for money to encourage further investment.

Professor Kwamena Sagoe, Project Lead and Virologist at the Department of Medical Microbiology, said the renovation would expand existing space and introduce new technologies and techniques to broaden the scope of research and diagnostic tests conducted by the department.

He added that the expansion would also create additional space for student training, conferences and short courses, while integrating the renovation of the existing 1960s-era structure with a new building to form a single modern facility.

Dr Ernest Kissi, an engineer with Promancon Consult, assured stakeholders that the project would be delivered to specification and the required standards within the stipulated nine-month timeframe.