The Methodist Church, Ghana has commissioned a 50-bed capacity hospital at Twifo Ntafrewaso in the Twifo-Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

The move formed part of the Church’s strategic health agenda to promote access to health within targeted communities and assist the Government in its quest to realise the Universal Health goal.

The facility, operating in phases, begins with the Out-Patients Department (OPD), and after full completion, will become a surgical specialist centre of excellence for the training of all cadres of health professionals across Ghana.

The surgical specialist centre would bridge the gap in the training of health professionals in the country’s healthcare delivery system.

Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop, said the Church prioritised not only the spiritual needs of the people but their educational, health and general wellbeing for growth and development.

It had, therefore engaged in the establishment of schools, hospitals and provision of water and sanitation facilities, especially in difficult-to-reach communities.

He underscored the Church’s determination to forge stronger partnerships with the Government to bring development to the people.

The Presiding Bishop called stakeholders, particularly those to benefit directly from the hospital, to adapt best management methods to achieve its full purpose.

He charged the health professionals to be decorous and professional in dealing with patients as stipulated in international best practices.

The hospital becomes the fifth to be inaugurated among 26 health facilities commissioned by the Church across the country to support healthcare delivery.

Dr Peter Yeboah, Executive Director of Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), supervisors of religious health facilities in the country noted that the holistic development of humans included education, health and socio-economic development and was important to support in that regard.

Churches contribution towards development could not be downplayed he indicated  and called for equitable distribution of resources to harness efforts to meet the sustainable development goal six .

CHAG was committed to assisting underserved, neglected communities to bridge the health inequities, which existed between rural and urban areas to ensure easy access to health by everyone in the country.

The support was an integral mission of Churches to ensure that the evangelization vision was manifested in health and healing of the people, Dr Yeboah added.

Nana Gyamrah Akoto II, Chief of Twifo Ntafrewaso, expressed gratitude to the Church and management for the support to improving quality healthcare delivery in the area.

He appealed to the health professionals to do its best to provide the quality service to gain trust and boost patronage at facility.

Speaking at the event, Dr. (Mrs.) Charlotte Osafo, the Medical Director of Bank of Ghana, who represented the Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, commended the leadership of the Methodist church Ghana for their commitment and dedication in ensuring that the healthcare project which was started back in 1997 was finally completed. She indicated that Bank of Ghana decided to partner with the Methodist Hospital in November 2021 when the Bank of Ghana received an appeal from the Methodist Church Ghana to donate its decommissioned hospital and medical equipment to the Methodist Hospital at Twifo Ntaferewaso in the Central Region.

The Bank of Ghana partnered the Church to furbish the Hospital with medical equipment to support effective delivery of service to the people.

 Dr. (Mrs.) Charlotte Osafo appealed to the Hospital Managers to establish a good maintenance culture and instil strong work ethics in the staff to ensure the efficient running of the Hospital.