The 70-year-old St. Elizabeth Hospital at Hwediem in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region has launched a major fundraising campaign to expand its overstretched emergency ward and replace obsolete medical equipment.

The initiative aims to increase the ward's capacity from a restrictive seven beds to 30 beds to adequately accommodate the growing number of emergency cases at the facility.

Established in 1956 initially as a treatment center for smallpox, the hospital has grown over the decades into a 110-bed facility.

Today, it serves as a critical referral hub not only for the Ahafo Region but also for four neighboring regions, including the Western, Bono, Western North, and parts of the Ashanti Region, contributing immensely to healthcare delivery in the country.

According to hospital officials, the severe lack of space in the emergency ward has frequently forced the facility to refer critical cases elsewhere.

Management noted that they could not allow patients to be treated on the bare floor due to the lack of beds, making the expansion project an urgent necessity.

Addressing a gathering at the fundraising event in Hwediem on Friday May, 30, the Head of the Emergency Unit, Stephen Nsiah Kwaku, disclosed that staff have long been operating with obsolete medical equipment within the limited seven-bed space.

He noted that this setup has caused severe discomfort to both staff and patients, alongside other healthcare inconveniences over the years. He emphasized that expanding the unit and replacing the medical equipment would be a major game-changer for regional healthcare.

Mr. Nsiah Kwaku enumerated several essential items urgently needed for the emergency department, including nebulizing machines, BP monitors, dermatology analyzers, and a central oxygen line, among other vital tools for efficient emergency service delivery.

Traditional leaders from across the Ahafo Region have strongly backed the fundraising drive.

Baffour Adjei Fofie, the Akwamuhene of the Hwediem Traditional Council, commended both past and present management and staff for their dedication to making the hospital a trusted choice for patients across Ghana.

He noted that the proposed 30-bed edifice, once completed, will serve patients from all walks of life. He rallied individuals and corporate bodies to contribute to the project fund or donate building materials and medical equipment directly to the facility.

Several public and private institutions, as well as individuals, have already made donations.

Early contributors include the Hwediem Traditional Council, the Underground Mining Alliance-Subika, Angel Group of Companies, the Asutifi South District Assembly, the Catholic Church, and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

To create widespread awareness, the staff of the hospital also marked Emergency Medicine Day with a health walk under the theme, "Every Second Counts: Improving Emergency Service Delivery."

The walk aimed to sensitize local residents and encourage public backing for the ongoing expansion and retooling project.

The Manager of the Hospital, Sister Georgina Lawrencia Quayson, stated that growth naturally demands expansion to match rising patient numbers.

She emphasized that the hospital must eliminate situations where emergency cases are turned away due to the "no-bed syndrome" or malfunctioning equipment.

She expressed deep gratitude to the early donors and appealed to other organizations and global citizens to support the cause.

The Nurse Manager of the Hospital, Gladys Bediako, recounted distressing instances where emergency patients had to be nursed on the bare floor due to a lack of space.

She noted that while referring patients to other distant facilities often risks the loss of lives, the expansion and retooling of the ward remains the only expedient solution to safeguard public health.

The management of St. Elizabeth Hospital is appealing to individuals, corporate bodies, and philanthropic groups worldwide to support the project. Donations can be made directly through the project’s official bank account:

GCB Bank PLC, Hwediem Branch Account Name: St. Elizabeth Catholic Hospital

Account Number: 7061130000538