Kwabena Mintah Akandoh begins 400-bed Mother and Child Centre construction

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has officially launched the construction of a new 400-bed Mother and Child Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Speaking at a Health Sector Update Engagement in Accra, the Minister described the project as a "hospital within a hospital," designed to provide comprehensive maternal and neonatal care. The initiative is a cornerstone of the government's redevelopment plan for KBTH, aimed at significantly reducing maternal mortality and improving the quality of care for newborns in the capital and beyond.

The Minister highlighted the urgent need for the facility, noting that Korle Bu’s current emergency infrastructure is severely overstretched. Although the teaching hospital has a total capacity of over 1,000 beds, only 67 are currently dedicated to emergency services. This disparity has frequently led to overcrowding and challenges in patient management. The new 400-bed centre will include dedicated operating theaters and specialized wards, providing a self-contained environment for maternal health that does not rely on the hospital's general emergency beds.

Beyond the capital, the government is expanding emergency and maternal capacity across the country. Minister Akandoh announced similar emergency capacity expansions at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the Tamale Teaching Hospital, and the 37 Military Hospital in Accra. These projects are complemented by the ongoing construction of three new regional hospitals in the Oti, Western North, and Savannah Regions. These infrastructure developments are part of a broader strategy to decentralize high-quality specialized care and ensure that no region is left behind in the health sector's modernization.

To ensure these new facilities operate efficiently, the Ministry of Health is piloting a national electronic emergency bed management system. This digital platform is intended to provide real-time visibility into bed availability across major hospitals, preventing the common issue of patients being turned away from facilities that are at full capacity. Additionally, the government has committed to adding 100 new ambulances to the national fleet by 2027 to improve pre-hospital care and response times during medical emergencies. The Ministry is also implementing recommendations from a recent emergency care review to enhance professional standards among health workers.