Health Minister saves pregnant women at Korle-BU hospital
By Abdul Salam Sule, Ghanadot

Accra, April 28, Ghanadot - Pregnant women who visit the maternity ward at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital had to endure the pain of climbing the staircase at the hospital to the fourth floor where the ward is located.

This is as a result of the breakdown of the lift at the Ghana's premier hospital for the past six months.

The ordeal of the pregnant women came to light when the Minister of Health, Dr Kojo Sipa Yankey paid a working visit to the hospital over the weekend. The Minister who was shock over the plight of the pregnant women instructed the hospital authorities to as a matter of urgency repair the lift to enable the pregnant women have some comfort.

Investigation has revealed that, upon the instructions by the Minister, the authorities at the Korle-Bu hospital had repair the lift and is now working.

Dr Yankey has however expressed worry about the conduct of the hospital authorities.

"It shouldn't take a minister to give instructions before breakdown lift is repaired and they should know better", he said.

According to him, authorities at the hospital had complained to him about the obsolete nature of the lift and the government would soon acquire a new one to replace it.

The Health Minister also paid a visit to the Ridge Hospital in Accra and the situation at the maternity ward did not enthused him. The ward was congested with some pregnant women lying on the floor.

Dr Sipa Yankey said, government would build more blocks to cater for the dearths of infrastructure at the Ridge hospital. He said, the government would also contract an environmental engineering company to provide new equipments to the various hospitals in the country.

"We should not allow patients to die as a result of lack equipments at the various hospitals and the government is committed to providing the equipments", he promised.

Ghanadot