Work to commence on La General Hospital redevelopment project soon – Health Minister

The La General Hospital which got pulled down to make way for a modern health edifice is set to commence this year, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu has assured.

The dilapidated nature of the hospital structure necessitated its closure in March 2020  for redevelopment.

It has been two years since this took place yet no significant progress of the work can be seen.

But the Health Minister while briefing the press said the work had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other documentation issues in China.

He assured the public that most of the issues have been resolved and the contractor is on-site to start work.

“We had cause to pull down the hospital because it was cracking and we were scared that there could be a disaster. After that, we awarded the contract, we went through regulatory processes but we faced challenges with Covid and some insurance challenges in China that stopped us from working. Now they [contractors] are back on-site and the last time they were looking for a road that will help them pull their heavy equipment to site.”

Kwaku Agyemang Manu revealed that some of the contractors are undertaking other projects in Shama and at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital which are also ongoing.

 Residents have been lamenting the slow pace of work at the site over a year after President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction.

Legislator for the La Dadekotopon Constituency, Rita Odoley Sowah, also recently expressed disappointment that work has not commenced on the redevelopment of the La General Hospital since the old structure was pulled down.

 A credit facility from Standard Chartered Bank of the United Kingdom is being used to finance the project with an export credit guarantee from Sinosure of the People’s Republic of China, to the tune of €68 million with an insurance cover of €3,860,349.18.

The project will be undertaken by a Chinese company, Poly Changda.

Upon completion, it will be transformed into a 160-bed facility and will be fitted with an outpatient department; inpatient wards; maternity and neonatal services; surgical unit with four theatres; accident and emergency department; public health department; pharmacy unit; laboratory; administration; imaging area, with CT Scan, X-ray room, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, mammography units; physiotherapy unit; and a mortuary.

The facility, which was formerly known as the La Polyclinic, was established in the early 1960s. It mainly served residents of La, Osu, Teshie, Nungua and their surrounding areas with their healthcare needs.

By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh

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