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General News of Wednesday, 7 January 2004

Source: GNA

Absence of surgical instruments slows down work

Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - Dr Rudolph Darko, Head of the Department of Surgery, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, on Wednesday said the absence of some surgical instruments at the theatre was affecting the pace of work. He said the Department, which has nine theatres, had no surgical instruments like endoscopes and laparoscope's, which help early recovery of patients and opening up for surgery.

He said the Department sometimes open only six of the theatres in the mornings and two in the afternoons but under the normal circumstances all the nine theatres should be opened to operate.

Dr Darko said this in an interview with newsmen after the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) had presented a cheque for 250 million cedis to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Endowment Fund, which was lunched in 2002 in Accra.

The presentation, which is the highest so far, is to renovate the first floor of the Surgical Block and replace non-functioning air conditioners.

Dr Darko said the Block, which has not seen any major renovation in many years, needed urgent attention.

He said the stench from the leaking sewage system from the top of the Block was unbearable.

He mentioned inadequate number of nurses and non-functioning air conditioners as some of the problems the Department was facing and thereby putting the health of patients in danger.

He explained that the non-functioning of the air conditioners were making drugs to deteriorate very fast.

"The mass exodus of nurses has also affected work because we do not have enough nurses to assist at the theatre as well as wards."

Mr Kwadwo Adansi Bonna, General Manager of GPHA, who presented the cheque on behalf of Board of Directors, Management and Staff, said the presentation was only the beginning and that more would follow. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Chief Executive of the Hospital commended GPHA for the gesture and said the presentation was the highest to be received from donors.

He gave the assurance that the money would be used for the purpose for which it was intended and urged other organisations and institutions to emulate the GPHA.