The Accra City Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church has inaugurated an ultramodern hospital to serve residents of Mallam-Gbawe and its environs in the Weija-Gbawe Constituency of the Greater Accra Region.
The 32-bed facility which comes with an out-patient department (OPD), admission wards, theatre, laboratory, emergency and pharmacy units among others, is expected to attend to about 1,000 patients on a daily basis.
So far, some eight medical officers and 80 nurses have been stationed at the hospital to provide quality healthcare services to clients.
Deputy Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr James Duah, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, commended the church for upgrading the facility from its initial status as a clinic to its present state.
According to him, the SDA is the third largest contributor of health institutions under CHAG, which aims at complementing government efforts in providing for the health needs of Ghanaians particularly in deprived areas.
Despite the increasing presence of CHAG across the country, Dr Duah reminded members not to renege on their core mandate of offering quality health care.
“CHAG owes it a duty to Ghanaians to safeguard their health and we must be available and the first port of call in providing quality health care,” he said.
The Deputy Executive Director while not ruling out the many challenges facing Christian health institutions including funding gaps under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), encouraged members to “focus more on the opportunities that exist in our challenges.”
“We need to re-orient our staff, offer in-service trainings, ensure effective supervision such that staff abides by core values and help improve the general healthcare delivery system in the country,” he urged.
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Francis Sey touted achievement made in providing high and quality health care for patrons since the facility begun operating as a clinic in the year 2008.
“Hard work and determination are indeed the hallmark of our great success.
“Today, Gbawe SDA Hospital stands tall among the best hospitals in the constituency, providing very high quality health care to our users,” he stated.
Dr Sey assured that staff will uphold highest standards and customer care under the new status of a fully fledged hospital.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
