BY: Daniel Orlando | Voltaonlinegh.com |
The Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) has launched a campaign to raise funds for the construction of a multi-million dollar Cardiothoracic Centre at the Volta region’s only tertiary health facility.Â
Dubbed, ‘Save a Heart, Save A Life’ project, the initiative which is in collaboration with ICS Africa, a communication firm based in Accra, is expected to raise about $3.2 million for the state-of-the-art facility, which, when completed would enhance the treatment of heart conditions in the region and also support the training of medical students of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).
Professor Frank Edwin, the Head of the cardiothoracic Unit at HTH and UHAS, said the treatment of heart diseases at the hospital currently leaves much to be desired, as the unit is ill-equipped and less conducive for full scale treatment.
As result, critical cases are referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, while those they can handle with available facilities are treated at the Out-Patient Department, for which 1,752 were attended to 2020 and May, 2021, he noted.
Prof. Edwin revealed that, about 8000 children are born with congenital heart diseases annually in Ghana, yet very few get the needed treatment due to inadequate facilities and high cost of treatment, he was therefore optimistic, the planned project, when materialised would go on a long way to enhance the treatment of heart related conditions, and appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations to contribute towards a worthy course.
Dr. John Tampouri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hospital, indicated that, the benefits of the projects were limitless, stating that, health education and research will improve as more specialists would be trained and retained to impart the knowledge in the lives of Ghanaians.
It will cut travel time to Accra and cost in seeking heart related treatments, while it will also attract patients from neighbouring countries, such as Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa would launched the project, pledged government’s support towards the project. He added that the project which requires the support of all will also make the HTH and UHAS world class institutions, improve health tourism and attract both human capital and investment to the region.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
