June 3 victim dies over lack of ICU care

A victim of the June 3, 2015 flood and GOIL filling station explosion disasters at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra who was on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has died, Today can confirm.

According to the Director of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre (RPS&BC), Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, the victim died as a result of non-functional of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Centre.

In his opinion the deceased would have survived if the ICU of the Burns Centre had been operational.

Meanwhile a multi-million cedi storey building housing the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Highly Dependency Unit (HDU) and a Theatre for the RPS&BC which is 90 per cent complete only requires about five (5) Million Ghana Cedis to make it fully functional.

The facility is currently furnished with some modern gadgets but lacks other essential equipment such as Blood Gas Analyzers, fridges, ventilators and other amenities to be able to put the structure to use.

Dr. Ampomah disclosed these on Monday, June 22, 2015 when he received a donation from a political support group, Grass Roots for Mahama (GRM) 2016.

The donation included bales of toilet rolls, 50 cartons of bottled water and 10 packs of assorted drinks.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bulsa North, Timothy Awintirim, who led the group to present the items said, the gesture was to assist management of the Centre to take care of victims of the twin disaster.

He hinted that the (GRM 2016) would soon organise blood donation exercise for members to give blood to the National Blood Bank at Korle Bu.

Dr. Ampomah therefore expressed management’s appreciation for the donation.

He, however, indicated that RPS&BC which is the only efficient Centre in the whole of West Africa needed support to complete work on the new structure to enable staff give better care to patients.

The structure was funded under the government’s capital infrastructure plan for health sector with assistance from international partners.

The Centre was established in 1997 through the partnership of a Scottish Charity for reconstructive surgery, Resurge Africa and Government of Ghana and renders services in reconstructive plastic surgery, burns, ulcers, deformities, injuries etc.

It currently trains doctors for other West African countries and also caters for patients from neighbouring countries.

With pressure mounting on the facility due to increased patronage by Ghanaians and other West African nationals the Centre requires expansion of its facilities to be able to deal with the increased traffic.

It would be recalled that in 2006 work begun on a three-storey building to house the ICU, HDU, Theatre and offices for the Centre.

The project was scheduled for completion in 2009 for handing over to management.

However, seven (7) years down the lane the facility is still not complete.

Dr. Ampomah nonetheless noted that efficiency would be greatly enhanced if the project was completed.

He also indicated that the training of more plastic surgeons and other related key staff would be easier when the facility is ready.

He said the RPS&BC also needed a blood bank as well as more nurses to aid work there.

According to him, the Centre would in due course embark on outreach programmes to remote parts of Ghana where reconstructive surgery and burns care were not readily available.

These, he noted, would require funds.

Meanwhile, a doctor at the RPS&BC, Dr. .Kwesi Nsaful, has revealed that sixteen (16) victims of the GOIL filling station fire disaster were brought to the facility on June 3 for medical care.

He said one of the victims died due to the lack of ICU care whilst eight (8) were treated and discharged.

He said seven were put on admission and three recovered well and were discharged. Currently four (4) of the victims, a female and three males are still on admission, receiving attention.

Dr. Nsaful said the donations (both cash and items) from members of the public would go a long away to aid in taking care of the injured.