Health authorities have secured a facility for setting up the biggest Covid-19 treatment center so far in the Ashanti Region.

The 115-bed capacity facility at Toase in Atwima-Nwabiagya Municipality comes with an intensive care unit and staff accommodation.

It was donated by Environment Minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

Health Minister tours new treatment centers

Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu was excited about the development.

"One of us who has turned himself to be a philanthropist sort of has donated his own personal clinic for use.

We have done some work in here and the director in Ashanti Region who is championing this and the Ghana Health Service Director-General together with the Komfo Anokye Chief Executive join me to come and see Prof Frimpong-Boateng's clinic that he has donated to us," he said.

He told journalists during a tour of the center the location of the centre makes it accessible even to patients from Ahafo, Bono, Western North and other regions.

Mr Agyemang-Manu had earlier visited the almost complete 60-bed Tepa District Hospital which is to be converted as a possible treatment center.

"Our regions very closed to Ashanti region- Oti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East and Western can bring patients to this place."

Ashanti Region is a new epicenter

Ashanti Region has become an epicenter of Covid-19, with confirmed cases jumping from 543 in May to 5,259, currently.

The region has recorded 55 Covid-19 deaths, the highest in any region.

"Accra and Ashanti [regions] have become epic centers in the country and there we need to prepare adequately for any eventuality," says Mr. Agyemang-Manu.

The situation has compelled health authorities to convert some hospitals under construction at Tepa, Fomena and Bekwai into temporary to treatment centres.

Centres at Komfo Anokye and Kumasi South Hospitals are over stretched.

Authorities anticipate the region could see an upsurge in cases, hence the need to secure new treatment centers.

Heath Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu, says the Frimpong Boateng Medical Center comes in handy, as the latest addition.

"We have wards that can take a total of about 90-beds. We have an ICU that can take a number of patients close to 15 and we can even create more.

We have some little staff accommodation for the doctors who will come and work here; we have identified doctors, staff  have been trained so this place is going to come onboard to add on to what we have in the Ashanti region as quickly as possible," he revealed.

Pressure on KATH

The new centre will be run by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

It comes as management is compelled to increase its treatment capacity from initial 5 to 26-bed capacity.

Chief Executive, Dr Oheneba Owusu -Danso, describes is as a welcome relief.

"For us, it is very critical. As of now, we have actually been forced to expand our treatment center.

It is the reason why we have advised the government through the Health Ministry for us to identify some fatality outside Komfo Anokye which is well isolated so that we can assist with the kind of skills and personnel that we have."