The Korean Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) is supporting the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to establish a Laparoscopy Centre.

The Centre which is expected to be in operation by the third quarter of this year will help provide minimally invasive surgical services and training of doctors in laparoscopy surgeries in the northern part of Ghana.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to commence the project was on Wednesday signed between management of KATH and KOFIH in Kumasi.

Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, Chief Executive of KATH, signed on behalf of the hospital, while Ms Hyejin Jung, Country Director for KOFIH signed for her organisation.

Dr Owusu-Danso conveyed the appreciation of KATH management and staff to KOFIH for the assistance which he said was going to change the face of surgical services at the teaching hospital.

He said the services of surgical directorates such as obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, trauma and orthopaedics as well as hand surgery were set to witness a dramatic change in the outcome of their procedures with the coming into existence of the Centre.

"This is because patients undergoing surgeries will not have to be cut open, surgeries will be a lot safer and less painful, recoveries will be faster and hospital stay shorter," he said.

He indicated that a surgeon from the hospital, Dr Dominic Darkwah, was already in South Korea for further training in preparation towards the take-off of the Centre.

He said there was the need for a sustainability plan so that the centre could continue to be in full operation long after KOFIH support has ended.

Ms Hyejin Jung said the Centre at KATH would be the second to be established by KOFIH in Ghana after one at the Ridge hospital in Accra.

She said the project which would be executed over two years was meant to make KATH a major hub for the training of doctors in laparoscopy surgeries in Ghana.

She said additional doctors and nurses from the hospital would be sent to South Korea for more training to ensure that the Centre was adequately staffed to provide specialist services and training expected from it.