This follows the commencement of operations of a new emergency centre for the Paediatric and Child Health Unit of the Ho Teaching Hospital.

The newly inaugurated emergency centre, a conversion of the mother and baby unit of the department, is dedicated to providing round-the-clock care for children in need of urgent medical attention and also delivering exceptional health care to the region's young population.

At a brief ceremony, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, pledged his commitment to facilitate the procurement of essential medical equipment for the centre, to bolster its capacity to deliver superior healthcare services and revolutionise paediatric care in the region.

He further extended his support to the hospital's ongoing efforts aimed at improving health outcomes for the region's youngest residents.

The Head of the Paediatric Unit, Dr Lord Mensah, was elated at the completion of the emergency centre and described it as a dream come true.

He remarked that the new centre would enhance the unit's ability to manage emergencies effectively, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for the children under care.

Continuous Service

The Acting Head of Paediatric and Child Health Sub-BMC, Dr Richard Bright Danyoh, highlighted the centre's features, emphasising its capacity to deliver intensive care services.

"Our new emergency centre is equipped to provide continuous 24/7 emergency care.”

"Additionally, it boasts a well-structured area dedicated to intensive care, ensuring that critically ill children receive the specialised attention they require," Dr Danyoh said.  

Dr Danyoh said despite the feat, challenges in staffing, customer care concerns and equipment needed for care remained.

"We need more medical officers to have a better coverage for the children we are going to see in the emergency centre," he stated.

"A missing link to holistic care, where staff are prepped up for emergencies and real time feedback made to facilities as well as planned referrals carried out, has been absent, specifically for children," he said.

He commended nurses at the unit who continued to sacrifice by taking on 12 hour shifts to cater for the children admitted at the unit.

Nurse Manager, Mary Lucky Kutsi, expressed her optimism about the centre's potential to improve health outcomes at the unit.

She, however, called for the alleviation of the strain on the hospital's medical staff, by recruiting additional medical professionals to provide some respite to the unit's dedicated staff.