Trust Hospital commissions DNA testing equipment

The Trust Hospital Company Limited on Thursday commissioned its first ever Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Paternal Testing equipment at Osu in Accra.

The equipment, first of its kind in a private institution, would be used to raise awareness among Ghanaians on DNA matters and results of requests could be obtained within 24 hours.

Commissioning it, Mr. Ernest Thompson, the Director General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), said the introduction of the facility marked another milestone of the hospital.

Mr. Thompson said the Trust Hospital Company Limited (TTHCL) had over the years been growing through the establishment of satellite clinics and expansion of facilities.

The Director General announced that TTHCL would soon open its ultra-modern Mother and Child Hospital at Osu to focus on issues concerning maternal and child health.

Mr. Thompson charged the hospital to “dream big” by acquiring lands for the establishment of a complex hospital facility in order to improve on the lots of the people.

“The board of TTHCL need to chart their course and we at SSNIT are prepared to support them,” he added.

He further entreated the leadership of the hospital to ensure that the machine was maintained regularly.

Dr. Darius Kofi Osei, General Manager of TTHCL, recalled that the trust hospital was established in 1992 as a nonprofit centre to provide health care delivery services for staff of SSNIT and their dependents.

However, he noted that the facility was later upgraded into a fully-fledged hospital and had extended its services to the public.

He said, apart from offering health care services for Ear, Throat, Eye, Dental, Orthopaedic and plastic surgery, it was also running Urology, Neuro, Diabetic clinics to augment the activities at the main Trust Hospital.

“We have six clinics at Adenta, Tema, Dome, Sakumono, Dansoman and SSNIT Pension House in Accra,” he noted.

On the DNA equipment, Dr. Osei noted that companies and laboratories as well as individuals would not need to travel abroad for DNA services.

“The Trust Hospital with this, will offer distinct DNA paternity test. It will enable requestors to confirm biological paternity between the alleged father and the child for their own knowledge; it, therefore, becomes the most convenient and cost effective option in Ghana,” Dr Osei observed.

He pledged the hospital’s commitment to work closely with the medical, law enforcement and legal fields to assist a mother in getting child support from the biological father of the child.

According to him, fathers would gain access to their children, adding that, the test would also prove a paternal biological link between two adoptees using the adoption test and obtain death benefits for a child as part of an insurance claim.

“DNA fingerprinting, Forensic DNA profiling, ancestry informative markers, Forensic DNA database and Privacy rights are some of the services that the machine also provides,” he said.

Dr. Sidney Laryea, a consultant, advised TTHCL managers to work hard to maintain the facilities as well as adhering to professional ethics as State Insurance Company and Bank of Ghana hospitals will serve as healthy competitors.

Dr. Laryea also commended Prudential Bank for assisting in the procurement of the DNA machine.

Mr. Salim Aissaoui, a Consultant of Life Technologies, a US based company, which installed the machine, noted that, the machine would use European based approach in setting out standards.