University of Ghana Teaching Hospital project near completion

The University of Ghana's 650 bed capacity Hospital built at the cost of $217 million will be completed and handed over to government next month. 

Government has also secured $48 million for the completion of the second phase which is a 400-bed capacity.  

This came to light when the Vice President, Kwesi Amissah- Arthur paid a working visit to the facility. 

He described the hospital as unique. He said government in the near future will put up a similar facility for the northern sector of the country.

As part of the project, a number of Ghanaian health professionals have undergone a short term hands on training at the Sheba Medical Centre in Israel. They are expected to constitute a critical mass of staff to be engaged when the teaching hospital commences operations. 

Meanwhile, authorities at the University of Ghana, Legon have confirmed to Radio Ghana that the first phase of the University of Ghana Teaching Hospital is being financed by the Government through a $217 million loan facility secured from Israel. 

The project Coordinator of the hospital, Prof. Aaron Lawson, said government has also secured additional $48 million for the second phase of the project. 

He said the University has demonstrated the capacity to pay back the loan to government. 

He announced that more than two thousand people will be engaged to work in the facility when completed. 

The University of Ghana Teaching Hospital Project which has been on the drawing board for decades commenced on 12th March, 2011 with sod cutting ceremony by the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. 

That same year, government solicited a loan facility from a bank in Israel for the design, construction and installation of medical equipment for a 617-bed Hospital facility for the University of Ghana. 

The main contractor is Messrs Engineering & Development Consultants Limited of Israel, with Sheba Medical Centre, also in Israel, as the medical consultants. 

Cabinet and Parliamentary approvals were granted in June and July 2011 respectively. 

Following a value for money audit process, the commercial contract was signed in November 2012 and the contractor, mobilised to site in April 2013. It is a three year fixed price contract.

GBC