Revenue generation has significantly improved at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), following the implementation of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) which was implemented some two years ago.
As a result of the improved revenue generation, the Hospital has been able to purchase two ultra modern oxygen plants, funded solely from the internally generated fund, at the cost of GH₵ 5.4million.
Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, Chief Executive of the KATH, who made the disclosure, said the investment made in the EMR by the “Board enhanced the managerial resilience of the hospital in securing reliable, safe and affordable medical oxygen for our severe and critically ill patients in the most critical periods of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
He was addressing the 2021 performance review meeting of the Hospital on the theme “Building A Resilient And Affordable Healthcare System: The Role of Teaching Hospitals And The Healthcare Practitioner”.
Though COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the operational and economic fortunes of the country and its institutions, including hospitals such as KATH, Dr Owusu-Danso said the “year 2021 witnessed a rebound in the operations of the hospital”.
Consequently, he said the year under review saw appreciable figures in all the clinical performance and other related indicators as compared to the same period in 2020.
For instance, among others, he said the outpatient department attendance increased from 190,657 cases to 233,019 cases in 2021, an increase of 22.22 per cent, while emergency admissions rose from 22,473 cases in 2020 to 24,697 cases in 2021.
Blood screened by the transfusion medicine unit for 2020 was 13,733 pints as against 18,514 pints in 2021, with physiotherapy services increasing from 9,074 in 2020 to 10,845 cases in 2021.
He mentioned that work had commenced on the expansion of the Hospital’s Dialysis Centre at the Family Medicine Unit to increase its capacity from five to 24 machines upon completion to provide quality, timely and convenient dialysing services to the public.
A 190-bed patient relatives hostel project, being executed under build, operate and transfer arrangement, he said, would be completed and operational by June this year.
This, he said, would ensure that relatives of patients who came from elsewhere would no more be seen loitering around the hospital “as they will now have a descent accommodation at affordable rates”.
The Chief Executive announced that a GH₵2.5million had been secured from the Ghana Gas Company for the expansion of the Hospital’s psychiatric unit, the main specialist mental health facility serving the entire northern part of the country.
He said architectural drawings were being finalised to pave way for the commencement of work this year.
Dr Owusu-Danso commended all and sundry for their hard work towards progress.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
