The Parliamentary Select Committee on Health has reaffirmed the Sunyani health facility’s standing as a teaching hospital, despite acknowledging several operational challenges that threaten to hamper its full potential.
“That is not up for debate. Even upon entering the facility, you can see the standard—it’s a teaching hospital. Maybe there are concerns due to some gaps, but once the government has designated it as such, its status stands,” Dr. Sandaare told journalists on Thursday, April 24.
The Health Committee is on a nationwide monitoring exercise aimed at assessing conditions in healthcare facilities and engaging directly with regional health administrators, staff and management of Government-sponsored hospitals.
The team led by Dr Sandaare included Professor Titus Beyuo, the MP for Lambussie and Emmanuel Kwaku Boam, the member for Pru East.
Two other teams are touring the northern and southern belts respectively.
While commending the hospital’s progress, Dr. Sandaare admitted that the facility is not yet operating at full strength, citing critical shortfalls in staff numbers, infrastructure, and medical equipment.
“They are doing well, but there are challenges we need to address—especially human resources, infrastructure, and medical equipment. The government will come to their aid definitely,” he assured.
Dr. Sandaare also stressed the urgent need for establishing a medical school in Sunyani, explaining that a fully functional teaching hospital would provide a robust foundation for medical student training.
The Health Committee’s tour of various units revealed serious concerns regarding space constraints and resource utilization.
“We visited the Accident and Emergency Unit and the Pediatric Unit. They have equipment, but not enough space to operate them. This is the opposite of what we sometimes see—where hospitals have space but lack equipment,” he said.
A major gap identified was the absence of a mammogram machine—critical for early breast cancer detection—an issue not only at Sunyani but across the entire Bono East region.
According to him, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Ghana. Yet, the hospital does not have a mammogram machine stating. “That’s a serious gap for a teaching hospital,” he lamented.
Dr. Sandaare also raised alarms about how medical waste is being handled at the hospital, describing it as a ticking time bomb for public health if not addressed quickly.
“Medical waste is toxic and can spread dangerous diseases. Its management needs critical attention. We have prioritized this issue and it will be included in our committee report,” he promised management.
Despite the challenges, the Committee members praised the commitment and resilience of hospital management and staff, urging them to keep up their efforts.
