HART Adventist Hospital has officially opened to serve the people of Ahinsan in Kumasi and beyond in the area of quality healthcare delivery.

The facility is named after Dr Richard H. Hart, who doubles as the President of the Loma Linda University in the United States (US) and Head of Adventist Health International of the Seventh-day Adventists.

It is the second specialised health facility to the existing Kwadaso SDA Hospital established under the auspices of the SDA Church.

It however, gets links with the Adventist Health International (AHI), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and the Ghana Adventist Health Services (GAHS).

It becomes the nineth hospital in addition to four clinics, a Nurse & Midwife Training College and a Central Medical Store operated by the GAHS in the Ashanti Region.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony chaired by the President of the Northern Ghana Union Mission (NGUM) of the SDA, Pastor Dr Kwame Kwanin Boakye at Ahinsan in Kumasi Dr Hart said it was necessary to “commission the facility to save all”.

He expressed confidence in the workers of the hospital and called on the GAHS to work closely with the South Central Ghana Conference (SCGC) under the leadership of Pastor Kwabena Annor-Boafo.

He said the Adventist church had gone far in the area of education and health and urged the hospital staff to remain united in vision.

He reiterated the need for the workers to live a life of emulation and working in true compassion, humility, integrity, excellence, freedom and justice in their duty of providing health care.

Strengthening relationship

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr John Alexander Ackon lauded the SDA church for its contribution to national development in the area of health and education.

He noted that the complementing efforts of the government to improve on the living conditions of the people would strengthen relationship.

He said the UNDP had come out with a number of statistics that ravaged many around the globe, particularly, those in the African sub-region bothering on maternal death and infant mortality.

He said government’s policy to have at least a health facility in every district was still in force and would go a long way to improve on the health status of the people.

While calling on the SDA church to actively involve itself in the National Sanitation Day exercise (preferably on Sundays); he assured that the Regional Coordinating Council was in talks with authorities at the Kumasi Abattoir to do away with or reduce the bad odour that would affect operations of the hospital.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa, Patricia Apiagyei also commended the SDA church for complementing government’s role to provide health care.

She noted that health was very important in the life of every individual and that she could not afford to fail in efforts to make access to affordable and quality healthcare to her constituents.

In order to maximise efforts for quality healthcare delivery, she called for the need to upgrade the Atonsu-Agogo District Hospital, though construction works to her were said to be ongoing at Sewua for the Sewua Regional Hospital.

She also seized the opportunity to call on government to either cancel or replicate the Pilot project of the Capitation on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the Ashanti Region which was hanging around the neck of the people like an albatross.

Universal health

Baafuor Osei Hyeaman Brantuo VI, Mawerehene who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said the inauguration marked a milestone in the books of Asanteman.

He observed that the facility would not help to multiply the number of health facilities in Asanteman but would speed up collective efforts to achieve access to universal health and praised the church in that regard.

He advised the workers and leadership of the facility not to settle for the middle by teething problems but move up in the face of the daunting odds to excel at all times.

He however, called on both the Regional Minister and the MP, who is also a former Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive to collaborate in the fight against engulfing filth in Asanteman, particularly, the City of Kumasi.

Fact Sheet

. There are 25 hospitals and clinics in addition to three Nursing Training Colleges, a Midwife Training College and a Central Medical Store owned by the SDA in Ghana

. The SDA now has two specialised hospitals operating in Kumasi city