KATH to establish modern Pharmacy Complex

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, (KATH), in Kumasi is set to establish a state-of-the-art pharmacy complex at the cost of GHc25 million.When completed, it will be a one-stop centre for the provision of specialist pharmaceutical services to patients of the hospital and those from outside.Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH, made this known at the 2024 mid-year Performance Review Conference of the hospital in Kumasi.It was on the theme 'The New KATH Agenda -Recalibrating efforts for enhanced health services outcomes '.Prof Addai-Mensah said that request for the award of the contract for the project was currently before the central tender review committee for consideration and the project would be funded through the hospital's internally generated funds.According to the CEO, the facility would also serve as specialist pharmaceutical training centre for pharmacy students.Prof Addai-Mensah said the introduction of a courier services for refill medicines for chronic but stable patients had been successful.The courier services, which had been in partnership with the Ghana Post, had recorded significant growth in bringing unprecedented relief to patients from all over the country, adding that, so far, 930 patients had registered to benefit from the scheme and were receiving their medications in the comfort of their homesAdditionally, he said patients had been assigned Pharmacists by the hospital who attend to them on phone as soon as their medications were delivered.The CEO said the hospital had also managed to revitalise the operations at the Dialysis Centre from less than two machines at the beginning of 2023 to seven at the close of May 2024.This, he said had helped in expanding critical dialysis care to kidney patients.The hospital had completed the renovation of the dialysis centre and would need additional 25 new dialysis machines.Now the dialysis centre records 300 sessions per month.Prof Addai-Mensah said the renovation of the 'GEE blocks' under the ' heal the KATH' project, which was being spearheaded by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had reached advanced stages and this upon completion, would enhance the delivery of high-quality healthcare services to patient.There had also been encouraging development on some of the clinical services provided by the hospital.In the area of Out -Patient attendance, specialist OPD cases recorded for the period were 133, 480 as against a target of 130,274.Laboratory and Radiology services recorded were 134,543 and 33,797 respectively as against a target of 100,842 and 31, 910.Also, institutional deaths dropped by 3.7 per cent over the 3,023-figure recorded last year.However, due the on-going renovation, in- patient admissions, surgeries, and deliveries recorded below targets, he said.Prof Addai-Mensah said noticeable achievements in infrastructure base and the operational environment as well as the out -put of the hospital was achieved with the enormous support of partners and stakeholders.He urged the staff to dedicate themselves to hard work to offer quality health care services to Ghana and beyond.Source: Ghana News Agency