To enhance healthcare delivery in the country, four major projects running into millions of dollars were recently inaugurated by the First lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills and the Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbour, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. The projects were the new Reproductive Health Centre, the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Bums Centre, the Cell Biology Laboratory and the rehabilitated Medical Block. The Reproductive Health Centre, funded by the Population Council of Ghana and from Korle-Bu's internally generated funds at the cost of US$500,000, is to provide advanced reproductive health care for Ghanaians, especially women. The Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, which cost about GH¢1 million with funding from the government, is expected to provide additional wards and offices to help decongest the old buildings. The Cell Biology laboratory, which is to offer diagnostic and forensic services, including research on genetic disease conditions, was constructed with funds from the hospital's internally generated revenue at a cost of US$278,000, while the Medical Block was rehabilitated at a cost of GH¢22 million, with funding from the government. Inaugurating the projects, Mrs Mills observed that the hospital had upgraded its operations, despite the challenges it faced in the delivery of its services. She noted that although there had been positive developments in the hospital, there was the need to prioritise healthcare services for women, who made huge sacrifices during their reproductive lives and contributed to the economy of the country. She added that it would be necessary to establish a fitting gynaecology centre of excellence that would administer special care and treatment to women in the country. It came out during the programme that children, who formed part of the vulnerable population of the country, must be given special attention that would take care of their health. The Ministry of Health and corporate organisations were, therefore, reminded of their social responsibility to consider upgrading facilities at the Korle-Bu Children’s Emergency Unit which was in a deplorable state. "It is our duty now to ensure a good future and hope for the children of this generation who are our children and our grandchildren," Mrs Mills indicated. The Minister for Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbour, said the government had made the health of Ghanaians its priority in order to empower the human resource needed by the country to develop. He said for that matter, it had released GH¢2.4 million to replace 13 old and faulty elevators at the hospital. He also said the government was sourcing for funds from its development partners for the establishment of a new Emergency Centre Complex for the hospital to ease pressure on the inadequate emergency facilities there. He put the estimated cost of the new centre at US$60 million. Dr Kunbour commended the Population Council of Ghana and the management of the hospital for their support to improve healthcare delivery in the country. In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Professor Nii Otu Nartey, assured the government that the management of the hospital would continue to expand and modernise its services to meet the aspirations of Ghanaians. He said the delay in being reimbursed for services provided under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the lack of water were the major challenges that slowed down the operations of the hospital and appealed for assistance. In a statement, the Chairman in charge of the reduction in maternal and mortality rate at the hospital, Prof Fred Sai, expressed the need for the country to give priority to reproductive healthcare issues and unsafe abortions. In a related development, a 14-year-old Indian girl, Ms Tanya Mistry, has donated part of her birthday present, through the Indian High Commission, to buy 3,000 blankets for the hospital. The blankets have been distributed among selected health centres in the country. The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the country's premier hospitals where many referral cases from all over the country and even beyond go for treatment. Source: Graphic Business