The Ashaiman Municipality is to have an ultra-modern hospital to cater for its health needs as the New Crystal Health Services (NCHS) has cut sod for the construction of a 'health mall'.

The project when completed would provide the Municipality and its environs with facilities including an ambulance dispatch center, trauma, and emergency center, general OPD consultation and inpatient care as well as family planning, antenatal, delivery and postnatal services.

Other services it would provide are pediatrics, dental, dialysis, dietetics, Ear, Nose and Throat, physiotherapy services, prosthetics and orthotics, theater, intensive care unit, and prayer room among others.

The 100 bed capacity hospital complex which was being funded by International Finance Corporation (IFC) (a private sector arm of the World Bank) has AMPC International Health Consultants, and Sawer-Nanor and Sons Company Limited (SNS) as consultants and contractors respectively.

Mr Simon Sawer Tetteh, SNS Managing Director gave the assurance that the project would be executed in accordance to specifications and ensure its completion within the schedule period for the residents to derive its benefits.

Mr Tetteh told the Ghana News Agency during the sod-cutting ceremony that the project would create jobs for the residents during the construction period, as SNS would employ a percentage of its workforce operatives from the catchment area of the project.

Dr Wisdom Amegbletor, Chief Executive Officer of New Crystal in an address, said the project was the second of five being undertaken with the support of its equity partner and the IFC as part of its infrastructure upgrade process.

He said it was aimed at serving the community better and meeting new and emerging health threats like chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) and COVID-19.

He said the total project was estimated to cost about seven million United States Dollars and comprises of the construction of a 50-bed facility at Michel Camp, 100-bed facility at Ashiaman, 80-bed facility at Tema, renovation and expansion of its Afienya branch to a 40-bed capacity facility, as well as the renovation and expansion of the facility at Adjei Kojo.

Dr Patient Ami Mamathah, Ashaiman Municipal Health Director, said the availability or absence of health facilities affects the quality of health delivered to the people, therefore the provision of such facility would boost quality health care in the Municipality.

Dr Mamattah said New Crystal plays a big role in the provision of health care in Ashaiman, disclosing that, it handles more than 25 per cent of OPD cases in the area, adding that, between January and June 2021, it had attended to over 33,000 clients, an indication that it was a major health stakeholder in the area.

She gave the assurance that the Health Directorate would continue to give the needed support to the private health facilities as they formed about 80 per cent of health providers in Ashaiman.

Mr Albert Boakye Okyere, Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive commended the hospital for taking such bold step to provide day and night care for people as according to him it fits well into the Assembly's vision to make Ashaiman a 24-hour city by the year 2025.