Over 50-acre land acquired by the Ghana Health Service at Ewusiejoe in the Ahanta West District for the construction of ultra-modern Western Regional Hospital has been sold by the land owners, Madam Beatrice Mochiah, Deputy Director of Nursing Services, has said.

She made the disclosure at Sekondi on Friday when the outgoing Western Regional Minister, Mr. Ebenezer Kwadwo Teye Addo, interacted with journalists to show his appreciation to the media for their cooperation during his tenure of office in the Region.

Madam Mochiah, who represented the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at the meeting, indicated that the sale of the land came to light when the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, paid a working visit to the Region early this year and interacted with some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMCEs).

She said it was during that meeting that the District Chief Executive Officer (DCE) for Ahanta West, Mr. Joseph Dofeyenah, revealed that the large tract of land designated for the regional hospital had been sold by the landowners without consultation with the GHS.

Madam Mochiah said the GHS is now looking for an alternative site for the construction of the hospital because it was a very important project for the Region since it would help improve delivery of health care for over four million people in the Region.

“Although a sod-cutting ceremony had been performed for the construction of the Sekondi Hospital at Kansaweredo last year, not much had been done on the site”, she added.

Answering questions on infant mortality and maternal deaths in the Region,

Madam Mochiah said 80 percent of infant mortalities was caused by birth freesias or pre-mature births and said the Service had trained 70 midwives on neonatal to resuscitate such babies since such babies die due to lack of oxygen.

The Deputy Director of Nursing Service indicated that the Service would train more midwives on low frequency dose as well as on site high frequency dose all geared towards reducing the under five mortalities.

She stated that 26 infant mortalities were recorded in health facilities in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis last year and added that the Service would work tirelessly this year to reduce the number of mortalities in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goads (MDGs) Four and five by 2015.

Madam Mochiah indicated that the Health Assistant Clinical Training School at Asankragwa had been upgraded to train more health personnel while the Nursing Training School at Tarkwa and Effia-Nkwanta Hospital were undertaking diploma courses in midwifery and hoped more midwives would be trained to fill the shortfall in midwives in the region and the country at large.

Meanwhile, the DCE for Ahanta West, Mr. Joseph Dofoyenah, confirmed the sale of the land to the GNA and added that what the landowners had done had really embarrassed the people of the district in view of the importance of the project to the entire population of the region.

“When I contacted the Overlord of the area, he said he was not aware but I wonder how that land was sold without his knowledge”.

When the GNA pressed further for more answers to the sale of the land, the DCE said in view of the embarrassing nature of the situation, he does not want to give further details.