Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, has given an assurance that the NDC Government under John Mahama will leave no stone unturned to ensure the health sector gets the needed investment for quality service.
Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, the Member of Parliament for Daffiama/Bussie/Issa, who is currently leading a team for a nationwide tour of health facilities as part of Parliamentary oversight in Goaso Municipal Hospital assured the staff that under the Mahama Care intervention, the government would consider upgrading the status of the hospital to fit the amazing delivery of the facility.
The Medical Superintendent of the Goaso Municipal Hospital, in welcoming the MPs, appealed for urgent government and corporate intervention, citing severe infrastructure decay, logistical, critical staffing shortages, and operational constraints that threaten service delivery at the 128-bed facility.
According to Dr. James Ankamah, the blocks are very old, and their aged nature demands constant repairs and renovations, which come at a high cost.
He appealed during a monitoring visit to the facility by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, describing the facilityโs deteriorating condition as very dire.
He lamented that despite serving thousands across nine wards, the hospital has not seen any major infrastructure upgrade in years.
Dr. Ankamah disclosed that one of the most strained departments is the antenatal care (ANC) unit, where limited space and rising demand have forced some expectant mothers to seek care elsewhere.
โThe place is small and cannot contain all the patients if they come. We have competitors with better infrastructure,โ he admitted, referencing nearby private and mission hospitals like St. Elizabeth Hospital.
Staffing, he said, remains a major challenge and indicated that of the hospitalโs 488 personnel, only three are specialistsโa general surgeon, ophthalmologist, and dental surgeon, and disclosed that the hospital lost 59 staff in 2024 alone, including an obstetrician-gynecologist who left the country. Temporary workersโ45 in allโfill vital roles but remain in precarious employment.
โAccommodation costs in Goaso are equivalent toโif not higher thanโAccra due to mining activities. Doctors and nurses struggle to find affordable housing,โ he said, and called on the government to build staff quarters to ease the burden.
Dr. Ankamah explained, however, that despite these challenges and more, some gains have been made.
Maternal mortality, he said, remains a concernโthree deaths were recorded in 2023โbut the hospital boasts a 118% follow-up rate for ANC registrants and has achieved full coverage in distributing insecticide-treated nets to expectant mothers.
He appealed for the hospitalโs upgrade to secondary-level status to align with the range of procedures already being carried out.
โWe perform secondary-level surgeries like thyroidectomies but arenโt compensated accordingly. Upgrading us would unlock critical resources.โ
He also urged improvements to the hospitalโs surrounding infrastructure, including the dusty, potholed roads that stained the corridors with mud during rains and deterred patients.
Members of the Committee praised the staff for their dedication despite the challenges and frustrations, and pledged the hospital would not be neglected in the governmentโs plans for the sector.
Team leader, Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, assured the staff that under the Mahama Care intervention, the government would consider upgrading the status of the hospital to fit the amazing delivery of the facility.
Prof Titus Beyuo, the MP for Lambussie, sympathized with the challenges of the hospital and suggested they approach some of the mining companies in the area to support through their corporate social interventions.
He stressed that the presence of the Goaso Municipal Hospital also benefits these companies directly and indirectly, hence the need to support them.
