President John Evans Atta Mills has summoned the Health Minister today to discuss how a lasting solution can be found to the constant breakdown of the elevators at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. "The President finds the prolonged malfunctioning of the hospitals lifts appalling and wants the Health Minister, Dr Benjamin Kunbour, to liaise with the hospital authorities to solve the problems as a matter of urgency" said deputy Information Minister, James Agycnim-Boatcng, who confirmed the Minister’s summons to the Times in Accra yesterday. He said the Presidents action followed his unannounced visit to the hospital last Friday, during which he encountered the difficulties patients, staff and visitors face at the hospital. The President had to climb the staircase to the sixth floor of the surgical block. The block's elevator like the ones in other departments of the hospital has been out of order for months, and the President did not hide his disappointment at the situation. The malfunctioning of the lifts in the country's premier hospital leaves patients and other users no option but to climb the staircase of the various blocks sometimes carrying the sick patients up by relatives. Dr. George Sipah-Yankey, the first Health Minister in the Mills administration, initiated moves to rehabilitate the lift system but it was stalled due to financial difficulties. According to Mr. Agyenim-Boateng, the President sympathised with patients who had to suffer the ordeal of climbing he stair case and gave the assurance that e government was giving the matter high priority. He said the President hopes that today's meeting with the Health Minister will determine whether to repair the existing lifts, or install new ones. The President is giving the highest attention that the issue deserves, since the problem is putting lives at risk, he said. As another fallout from the president's visit to the Abossey-Okai spare parts area, the Deputy Minister said the President had directed the Roads Minister, Joe Gidisu, to give the rehabilitation of the road network in the area the utmost priority. The poor nature of the roads in and around the spare parts market area, cording to the spare parts dealers, is hindering the smooth running of business. Source: Ghanaian Times