The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital has resorted to using improvised support system in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to manage newly born babies who need special attention after delivery, Dr David Asare, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital has disclosed.

Dr Asare attributed the current situation to the breakdown of aging equipment and called for their replacement or the construction of the new NICU to help support and offer best of care to babies after delivery since neonatal deaths constitute a major factor in the hospital mortality rate.

Newborn babies who need intensive medical attention are often admitted into NICU to be offered the best of care and to prevent mortality.

A well functional NICU combines advanced technology and trained healthcare professionals to provide specialised care for the baby and also offers intermediate or continuing care areas for babies who are not as sick but do need specialised nursing care.

Dr Asare was speaking at a 2017 annual performance review meeting of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital held at the premises of the institution in Cape Coast.

The event was on the theme: “Transforming healthcare delivery in Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.”

Dr Asare also mentioned the challenge of overcrowding, congestion and inadequate space at the Out-Patient Department (OPD), Obstetrics and Delivery suites and Accident and Emergency ward.

Additionally, Dr Asare cited the continuous illegal sale and development of the hospital’s land, inadequate accommodation for critical staff and inadequate and ageing equipment such as medical oxygen plant, power generators and laundry and others as other challenges facing the institution.

The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan in an address read on his behalf, commended management and board of the hospital for their prudence and pro-activeness in dealing with the issue of encroachment despite all the challenges.

He therefore urged them not to relent in their efforts at protecting the hospital’s land for future development and for subsequent generations.

He further indicated that the Regional Co-ordinating Council’s commitment in partnering with the management in addressing the encroachment of the hospital’s land.

Kwamena Duncan, Central Regional Minister

He said: “It is very disheartening to hear clients complaining of bad attitude of some health personnel in this hospital due to mistreatment meted out to them especially cases of negligence”.

He further said that, “you need to exhibit a high sense of responsibility and commitment to your work in order to improve upon health delivery at the hospital”.

The Central Regional Director of Health, Dr Alexis Nang-Beifuba, in his address, expressed the directorate’s commitment in supporting the facility to improve healthcare delivery in the region while calling for collaboration among all health institutions for effective handling of cases.

He stated that there was the need for all health facilities to iron out any form of differences in order to facilitate referrals when needed.

The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital which is a 400-bed referral facility hospital started on August 12, 1998 as a regional hospital and was upgraded to the status of a teaching hospital in 2014.