A Scottish global health charity organization, Kids Operating Room (KidsOR), has refurbished the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) with 6,000 items of surgical equipment at a cost of $600,000.
KidsOR has also committed itself to see to the maintenance of the theatres for five years after which KATH would be in charge. It is expected that the operating rooms would provide a safe environment for patients and shorten the waiting time for both electives and emergencies, thus reducing complications and mortality.
It was disclosed during the launch that there was a need for the facility to be refurbished for pediatric surgery following the relocation of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology block.
KidsOR Communications Officer (Africa), Muthoni Wahome during the event charged authorities to ensure the maintenance of the facility, the organization’s maintenance tenure of five years is over.
“In realizing that about 1.75 billion children and adolescents worldwide did not have access to surgical care, I am hopeful mortality rate of children would reduce drastically as more children could also be attended to.
“The installation at KATH is also a milestone for the organization as it marked the 50th Operating Room installed since the inception of the charity four years ago. Such a landmark facility has created the capacity for more than 30,000 children a year to access safe surgery,” she said.
The Chief Executive of the KATH, Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, noted that the development brought great relief to the hospital which needed the facility very much for the sake of children and the training of other specialists. He noted that the Facility would enable KATH to train more paediatric surgeons and anaesthetists as these State-of-the-Art theatres are training grounds for paediatric staff.
