The Eastern Regional Hospital (ERH) in Koforidua is setting its sights on attaining teaching hospital status, with management saying the facility has the personnel and range of services needed to support that ambition.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the hospital's centenary celebrations, Medical Director Dr. Saanwie Suntaa Aiden said the institution's long-term vision is to evolve into a teaching hospital capable of training future healthcare professionals while expanding specialist care.

"This hospital, I think in terms of personnel and the range of services we render, we are at a teaching hospital level," he said.

Dr. Aiden, however, noted that achieving that goal would require improved infrastructure and modern equipment, particularly the completion of the long-delayed New Eastern Regional Hospital project.

"What we need to propel us to the realization of that vision fully is to be able to have a well-equipped facility with state-of-the-art equipment," he stated.

He expressed optimism about the future of the project following assurances from the government that work would soon resume.

The Medical Director's comments came after Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Awatey announced during the event that President John Dramani Mahama had directed the contractor handling the New Eastern Regional Hospital project to return to the site.

"I am pleased to announce the long-awaited news from the President of the nation that the New Eastern Regional Hospital project will soon resume work," she said.

According to the Minister, the directive demonstrates the government's commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure and improving access to quality healthcare services in the Eastern Region.

Dr. Aiden said the hospital was closely monitoring developments and remained hopeful that construction would progress as expected.

"We are patiently following the progress of the work, hoping that that can come out very soon. It is a priority area for us as a facility to get to the next level," he said.

He added that management would continue investing internally generated funds into the development of the facility while seeking partnerships to support its growth.

"Whatever little we generate, we are going to put it back into the facility to build it to the next level," he noted, while inviting individuals and organisations interested in supporting quality healthcare delivery to partner with the hospital.

The Medical Director also said the hospital would focus on developing specialist human resources to support its long-term ambitions.

"We have to be working towards the human resource to be able to function fully as a teaching hospital when we get there. So that is going to be my goal going forward," he said.

The remarks were made at the launch of the Eastern Regional Hospital's centenary celebrations under the theme, "A Century of Quality Healthcare, Innovation and Excellence."

Established in 1926, the hospital has served as a major referral facility in the Eastern Region for the past 100 years and plans to undertake a series of activities over the coming months to commemorate the milestone.