The Reproductive Health Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is to begin vasectomy procedures as soon as the first patient walks into the facility.

This has been made possible with the furnishing of the Centre’s theatre with equipment worth $50,000 by Focus, a USAID-funded Ghana Focus Region Health Project (FRHP).

It is a four-year (2009-2013) Integrated Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Family Planning (MNCH/FP) Project.

Its goal is to improve the health status of communities in three focus regions of Ghana: Greater Accra, Central, and Western Regions.

The donation package include an electric autoclave, instrument trolley, mayor stand with tray, operating light, operating table, patient examination couch and surgical aspirator.

At a presentation from the USAID to the Centre, the Senior Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health Advisor, Mrs Susan Wright, said the donation was to make it easier and cheaper for patients and clients to access reproductive health services.

She said USAID, through Focus, provided support for the implementation and promotion of reproductive health in the world, adding that, their main objective was to promote voluntary family planning.

Mrs Wright promised USAID’s readiness to assist the Centre with the necessary logistics to carry out their duties effortlessly.

The Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Professor Samuel A. Obed, said the Centre was providing comprehensive family planning services for both male and female of reproductive age but the public was yet to know of the important role it played.

He, therefore, called on the media to publicise the Centre’s existence and added that staff at the Centre were professional and dedicated but due to the lack of some necessary equipment, working there was sometimes difficult.

With the acquisition and furnishing of the Centre’s theatre, procedures could be undertaken with no difficulty, he said, and expressed appreciation to Focus and USAID for assisting the Centre.

Prof. Obed, appealed to USAID to continue to support the hospital so that the Centre’s potential could be fully utilised for the benefit of patients, clients and the public.

The group from USAID was led by the Chief of Party of Focus Region Health Project, Mr David O’Brien.