Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has undertaken an ambitious initiative to construct a 200-bed paediatric centre as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
To fund the construction of the paediatric centre, the hospital plans to utilise proceeds generated from various anniversary activities.
While the hospital currently operates a paediatric unit, the existing facility is deemed insufficient to accommodate the growing number of paediatric patients, necessitating the establishment of a modern and state-of-the-art paediatric centre.
Dr. Atik Adam, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, explained in an interview in Tamale that, as part of the fundraising strategy for the project, the hospital will conduct fundraising activities to seek support from both individuals and corporate entities.
“We’ll be 50 years old next year [2024] and we intend to use funds we generate from our celebration, including a fundraiser program, for the construction of the paediatric centre,” he said.
“We are growing and so we need to expand to meet the growing number of patients we receive daily. As we have currently, the numbers have outgrown our paediatric unit, and so we need to expand, and with the support of the general public, we’ll be able to embark on this project successfully,” he added.
More than 20 staff members of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) are facing disciplinary action for a range of offenses, as revealed by the acting CEO during the launch of the hospital’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.
The acting CEO disclosed that over the past three months, the hospital has initiated disciplinary procedures against over 20 staff members for offences such as extorting money from clients and absenteeism, among other misconducts.
“In addition, to improve quality service delivery, management has taken discipline among staff very seriously, with staff being held accountable for their actions. More than twenty staff, including senior and junior doctors, nurses, and other cadres of staff, have undergone various disciplinary procedures over the past three months for various offences, including extortion of money from clients, absenteeism from work, etc,” he noted.
Touching on the successes of the hospital over the past 50 years, Dr. Atik said that as the premier health facility in Northern Ghana, it has introduced several specialist services such as endoscopy and dialysis services, neurology and neurological services, and cardiology.
He said “To meet the complex and wide range of health needs within its catchment area, the hospital, over the past couple of years, has added on to the bouquet of services it provides with the introduction of specialties and sub-specialties such as endoscopy and dialysis services, neurology and neurosurgical services, cardiology, endocrinology and oncology (including paediatric oncology).
“Existing services such as dental care, drugs, and pharmaceuticals; oxygen supply; trauma and orthopaedics; infectious disease care and diagnostics, including blood services; CT scans; ultrasound scans; echocardiography; and speech therapy have all been expanded and enhanced.”
Ya Naa Abukari II, the Overlord of Dagbon, emphasised the significance of strong, courageous, and strict leadership in curbing acts of indiscipline. He noted that such leadership had been lacking at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for an extended period.
The Overlord commended the current leadership of TTH for implementing robust measures to address issues of indiscipline within the hospital.
Originally established as the Tamale General Hospital in 1974 by Gen. I.K. Acheampong, the hospital aimed to meet the healthcare needs of Tamale and the Northern Regions of Ghana.
It attained the status of a teaching hospital in 2008/2009 following the establishment of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University for Development Studies (UDS-SMHS).