The Vice President inaugurates a $1,000,000 Catheterization Laboratory at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Accra, April 25, GNA – Tuesday, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia inaugurated a one-million-dollar Catheterization Laboratory at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to support accurate imaging for effective disease treatment, particularly cerebral aneurysms.

A Catheterization Laboratory, also known as a Cathlab, is a hospital or clinic examination room with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the coronary arteries and treat any stenosis or abnormality detected.

The Bank of Ghana funded the highly advanced laboratory as part of its corporate social responsibility.

The medical facility is located in the hospital's Radiology Department and is equipped with a large detector, dyna CT, roadmap software, and a 3D workstation.

At the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital's inauguration ceremony in Accra, Dr. Bawumia praised the Central Bank for financing the medical facility and expressed confidence that it would enhance healthcare delivery at the country's premier hospital.

According to the Vice President, Ghana is the only country in the subregion of West Africa that offers advanced minimally invasive endovascular treatment for cerebral aneurysms.

The Cathlab is a valuable asset and an improvement to Ghana's healthcare infrastructure as a whole.

Investing in medical facilities, he stated, would aid in retaining competent medical professionals, enhance the training of local physicians and other allied health personnel, and ultimately improve the quality of healthcare provided to citizens.

The Vice President urged the Management and Staff of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to maintain the medical facility properly in order to extend its useful life.

Consequently, he urged other private corporate entities to collaborate with Ghana's premier hospital and other health facilities to bring about similar health advancements.

In the past six years, he said, the government has prioritized health through the construction of health facilities and other initiatives that will position Ghana as a medical tourism center in the Sub-region.

The recruitment of more than 100,000 health personnel for the Ghana Health Service, the restoration of nursing training allowances, and the resuscitation of the national ambulance service through the implementation of the one constituency, one ambulance policy, which resulted in the acquisition of 307 well-equipped ambulances were examples of the government's commitment to health.

Vice President Bawumia stated that the government implemented drone delivery of medical supplies to remote regions, making Ghana the largest medical drone delivery service in the world.

Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, the CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, stated that the hospital would celebrate its Centennial Anniversary in October of this year to commemorate the outstanding clinical services and leadership it has provided since its inception.

He lauded the Government and the Central Bank in particular for financing the renovation of the hospital's health facilities.

He stated that, as the national referral center, the institution's internal procedures must be bolstered to assure excellent services to the public.

The Board Chair of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. David Nkansah-Dwamena, stated that due to a lack of certain cutting-edge medical equipment, the hospital occasionally refers cases abroad for treatment.

Therefore, he requested state-of-the-art equipment to fulfill its mandate.