Despite being the second largest hospital in the greater Accra region and also noted for maternal healthcare , the La General hospital is challenged with maternal deaths, still births and early new born deaths. The hospital which has the total catchment population of 220 thousand as at half year has conducted over 2000 deliveries.

To help address this challenge, the First lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama through her foundation and Siemens Ghana has donated an Ultra Sound Scanner to the La General hospital to help in diagnosing pregnancy related abnormalities, which could have resulted in unexpected emergency. With this every pregnancy will be scanned at least three times during pregnancy to enable clinicians to plan delivery ahead of time to reduce maternal deal death.

The ultrasound machine which is Siemens Acuson X150 is capable of doing Obstetrics, Vaascular, Cerebrovascular, Abdomen, Urology and Musculoskeletal Exam..

The Lordina Foundation which has a goal to save lives in hospitals have donated medical supplies and equipment to deprive communities and so far many communities in all regions have benefitted from the donations as well as free medical health screening exercise across the country.

At a colourful ceremony to hand over the Ultra Sound machine to the hospital the Minister of Health Alex Segbefia who represented the First Lady reiterated governments commitment towards safeguarding the health of the citizens and everyone living in Ghana.

He indicated that the massive input the hospital is receiving is a testament to this and that it was everybody’s responsibility to ensure that these equipment are taken good care of and applied to the benefit of patients.

“Under Better Ghana Agenda, Government in an uncompromising way has rededicated itself among other to ensuring a healthier population with reduced maternal and infant mortality because we believe that if Ghanaians have increased access to quality integrated health services, increased availability of community-based health resources, strengthen and responsive health systems and improved governance and accountability in the health sector, then they will experience more equitable improvements in their health status and the reason why government will not hesitate to invest in health infrastructure” he stated.

The health Minister stated that one major challenge to accelerating the procurement of healthcare technologies by the ministry for better clinical service is the lack of long term secure funding for the purchase of spare parts. According to him the Ministry of Health has been under the burden of providing resources to fund all third party maintenance contracts on equipment it procured centrally under various projects and whose warranties had elapsed.

“The mobilization of resources for sustaining the installed base of medical equipment has become extremely difficult under the current economic climate where both government and private sectors budgets face a difficult battle for finite resources” he asserted

Mr. Segbefia said it has become necessary to set up a Medical Equipment support Fund with resource from internally generated funds of healthcare institutions for the servicing of recurrent costs including maintenance and long term payment of the credit facilities with which these capital equipment are procured.

Chief Executive Officer of Southern and Eastern Siemens Sabine Dall’omo said the global company was committed to playing a meaningful role in the development of the African continent and Ghana in particular. “We are confident that this donation of the ultrasound unit will improve diagnostic imaging of patients, support the hospital’s every day clinical requirements and contribute to affordable and accessible healthcare to Ghanaian citizens” she said.

Siemens used the opportunity of the programme to announced further investment in gas and steam projects Ghana over the next three to five years which will together with project partners will add hundreds MW to the national grid.

Medical Director of the La General Hospital, Dr. Ebenezer Oduro Mensah expressed gratitude to the First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama and Siemens Ghana for the donation of the Ultrasound scanner to the hospital saying that it will enhance service delivery as well as save lives.

Dr. Oduro Mensah used the opportunity to thank the President John Dramani Mahama for the newly installed elevator for the hospital since it has reduced the burden of carrying sick and pregnant women on staircase.