New Crystal Health Services and its partners have cut the sod for construction of a US$2.5million ultra-modern hospital facility to serve the growing population of Ashaiman and its surrounding communities. The three-floor 100-bed capacity hospital will be running 24/7 and provide a one-stop-shop for all medical, diagnostic and pharmaceutical needs at the highest level.
Chief Executive Officer of New Crystal Health Services, Dr. Wisdom Amegbletor, said the project is the second of its five projects being undertaken by the New Crystal Health Services; with equity from Impact Investment Group, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a private sector arm of the World Bank.
The project forms part of its infrastructure upgrade process to serve the community better, and also meet new and emerging health threats like chronic non-communicable diseases and COVID-19. The IFC investment is the first of its kind in the health sector of Ghana.
Describing the facility as a ‘health mall’, Dr. Amegbletor revealed the total project is set to cost US$7million – comprising the construction of a 50-bed facility at the Michel Camp branch, which is progressing steadily and expected to be completed by end of the year.
The 100-bed facility at Ashaiman, construction of an 80-bed facility at Tema, the renovation and expansion of Afenyo Clinic – also in Ashaiman – to a 40-bed capacity facility, and renovation and expansion of Adjei Kojo branch to 30-bed facility will see patrons witness a very significant change in the entire health service delivery value chain.
Dr. Amegbletor noted that the 300-bed total capacity of the facilities will go a long way to improve the hospital bed situation in the country, and create an additional 200 direct jobs and an unqualified number of indirect jobs.
Some of the services to be provided include general Outpatient Department (OPD) consultation and in-patient care, ambulance dispatch, trauma and emergency centre, family-planning, antenatal, delivery and post-natal services, paediatric services, dental services, dialysis, dietetics, ENT services, eye services, physiotherapy services, pharmacy, prosthetics and orthotics, a mini-morgue, oxygen plant, major and minor theatres, waste management system, and others.
“This facility is timely because it places us in a better position to prevent, treat those affected and to effectively manage the complications that are likely to arise from these increasing cases of chronic non-communicable diseases even as we work on prevention,” he said, acknowledging and appreciating partners, staff, clients and all who supported the hospital in one way or another to its present state.
Barfour Otu-Boateng, the representative of Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), said they are dedicated to investing in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across Africa. They have invested in over 120 SMEs so far, in sectors such as healthcare, technology, agribusiness, manufacturing and several others.
The mission, he said, is to support and enable a new generation of entrepreneurs in Africa to build businesses that deliver impact and sustainable returns. This they found in New Crystal Health Services, hence the need to grant them a loan facility. He said health care is a critical concern in Ghana’s economy that need a strong response.
Mr. Otu-Boateng called for a sense of collective ownership, so together with staff and management of the hospital they can make this new project one that becomes an example for making quality health care affordable and accessible.
Mayor of Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, Albert Boakye Okyere, applauded the private sector’s role – especially New Crystal Hospital for its tremendous contribution toward development, and also assisting and improving health care delivery in the area. “This has come at the right time, when the assembly is championing the cause of fulfilling it vision to make Ashaiman a 24-hour livable city. We will ensure the right environment is created and security improved,” he said.
The Ashaiman Municipal Health Director of the Ghana Health Service, Patient Mamatah, said the private sector is key when it comes to health care delivery. She said New Crystal Health Services is a key stakeholder in terms of health care service delivery, which holds over 25 percent of total OPD attendance in the area. Health infrastructure, she indicated, affects quality health care delivery positively or negatively, noting that the new facility with all ancillary services will support quality and health care delivery in the municipality.
