The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has launched a fundraising drive aimed at mobilising $10 million for the renovation of the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).Osei Tutu II, has launched a fundraising drive aimed at mobilising $10 million for the renovation of the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The initiative which seeks to comprehensively renovate the 70-year facility will serve as one of the legacy projects of the Asantehene as he marks 25 years since ascending the golden stool.
As the Overlord of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo said he could not look away as the only tertiary health facility in the Kingdom deteriorated to the detriment of the health of his people.
He said though KATH was in the Ashanti Region, it served patients from 12 regions across the country hence its maintenance was a collective responsibility of all.
According to him, he had personally visited the facility in disguise during which he discovered that the level of deterioration was beyond the management of the facility.
“The current state of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is terrible, and we must all join the campaign to restore it to its glorious past,” the Asantehene appealed.
He encouraged every household in the Asante Kingdom to contribute at least GHC 100.00 towards the initiative and charged Members of Parliament (MPs) in the region to lead that campaign in their respective constituencies.
“Okomfo Anokye whom the facility was named after never felt sick, so it is unacceptable to allow the hospital to get sick in our time,” Otumfou noted.
He underscored the importance of the project to the health of the good people of Asanteman and called on corporate bodies, philanthropists, and other public-spirited individuals to contribute to the fundraising efforts.
Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH, said many years of persistent over utilisation and frequent wear and tear had left the hitherto impressive structure in a state that was not fit for the provision of contemporary medical care.
“Typical of such heavily used facilities, the plumbing, electrical wirings, windows, roofing, washrooms and all the ancillary facilities have for many years deteriorated beyond maintenance,” the CEO cried out.
He attributed the situation to the fact that the blocks which contained all the wards and other in-patient facilities had never undergone any major renovation in its almost 70-year history due to limited resources.
“This sad state of affairs is getting worse by the day and we are reaching a point where if nothing was done immediately, the old Gee block could soon suffer a catastrophic structural failure with dire consequences for health care services in this region and beyond,” he lamented.
He said Otumfuo’s acceptance to lead the fundraising efforts to give the facility a facelift was refreshing and a huge sigh of relief.
Most of the invited guests who witnessed the historic event including MPs, business executives, corporate bodies and individuals made various pledges running into millions of Ghana Cedis.
GNA