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Legon hospital needs retooling-Principal Medical Officer

The Principal Medical Officer of the Legon Hospital in Accra, Dr Mark Frempong, has appealed to the government and philanthropists to help equip the maternity block of the hospital.

He said the unit lacked suction machines in the resuscitation and anaesthetic rooms and that the anaesthetic equipment was not functioning.

Dr Frempong made the appeal when the Ayawaso West Municipal Chief Executive Madam Sandra Owusu Ahenkorah paid a working visit to the hospital on Thursday to acquaint herself with the state of the facility.

The tour was also to meet with the management of the hospital towards addressing the challenges.

 According to the medical officer, the wash rooms were not effectively functioning and the only one in good condition had to be shared by the staff and expectant mothers.

 Dr Frempong stated that the delivery beds were not enough as expectant mothers had to sit on benches to wait for their turn.

He said the fans in the maternity ward were malfunctioning making the wards stuffy and appealed that they be replaced with air-conditioners to make the mothers comfortable. He also said that the lights in the emergency wards were not functioning.

 Dr Frempong lamented that monitors for the assessment of the condition of mothers and their babies were non-existent, thus rendering a unit that serves the entire University community helpless.

The Administrator of the hospital Mr Eric Gaisey said the facility established in 1948 had not seen any major renovation, even though it offers 24-hour service.

He said the maternity ward was always the first point of call for emergencies and needed to be fully equipped to offer first class service to expectant mothers.

 The administrator appealed to the MCE to help procure a water tanker for the hospital as the facility currently had no direct water line.

 He said  the reproductive health unit required extra bins , adding that the laboratory also need a movable Delft Dl and memograph machines bigger MRI and CT scan machines and a much bigger department.

Mr Gaisey asked for more spacious consulting rooms as some of the doctors had to pair to work.

Madam Owusu Ahenkorah touched by the challenges of the hospital said the assembly would organise a stakeholders’ forum to solicit funds to support the children’s ward and maternity block.

 She said the assembly, as a short term measure, would do all it can to provide extra washrooms for the ward after which she would seek private sector support to expand the ward.

The MCE assured that the lighting system in the ward would also be renovated to give the facility a face-lift.


BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU

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