Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday commissioned a GHc4.8 million ultra-modern Infectious Diseases Treatment Centre at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
The idea of building the facility was originally conceived in 2014 during the outbreak of the Ebola disease in DR Congo and other parts of Africa.
The 25-bed facility houses a Command Centre to coordinate the activities of isolation centres across the country and a Health Surveillance Unit.
The construction of the facility started in April 2019 and was completed within 10 months.
At the handing-over ceremony in Accra, Vice President Bawumia expressed Government’s determination at providing essential logistics and infrastructure to meet the nation’s health needs.
“As you are aware work on this facility began even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Ghana,” he said.
He added that: “This government has initiated, in less than four years, 843 projects in the health sector, with 475 of them completed, while the rest are ongoing.We have also introduced a lot of initiatives in the health sector such as the use of drones to deliver essential medical supplies.”
“We now have four drone centres operational, and during this COVID-19 pandemic, 2,500 samples have been delivered by drones. Our commitment to improving access to health care remains unwavering, and with your support, we will even do more.”
The Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, expressed confidence that the facility would be put to good use to benefit many people.
“In the finest traditions of the Military, we can be sure that years later this facility will remain in good shape due to the culture of maintenance,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, on behalf of the sector Minister, said a number of health facilities would be completed this year including the Bekwai, Fomena and Kumawu hospitals.
“Never in the history of this country has so much resources been invested in health care in such a short time.
“This is, indeed, a sure sign of the government’s commitment to ensuring the provision of healthcare for its people,” Dr Okoe Boye said.