The government has started building a Catheterisation Laboratory (CATH Lab) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to address the rising cases of heart disease and cardiac arrests.

For 70 years, KATH has operated without a CATH Lab, forcing many patients to travel to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra or abroad for treatment. Heart attack and cardiac arrest cases at the hospital have risen by more than 250 percent in the last decade, with two to three patients arriving daily.

Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Lambert Tetteh Appiah said the lack of a cardiac facility is affecting patient care. “Just this week, we’ve had two to three cases requiring emergency transfers to Accra for specialised intervention. This has become a weekly occurrence — at least two to three patients every week.”

The need for the lab became urgent after the death of Dr. Kwame Adu Ofori, a 47-year-old emergency physician at KATH, who died in 2025 after being rushed to Accra for treatment that could not be provided locally.

The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund have intervened to build a Cardiology and Interventional Centre at the hospital.

KATH CEO Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo speaking to journalists during a consultative forum involving management, consultants, and senior specialists in Kumasi on Wednesday January 21, he said the new facility will improve healthcare delivery and save lives.

“It is going to change the way we do a lot of things. Many of the conditions that previously required patients to be flown to India, the United States, or Europe will now be treated right here. We already have staff who have been trained, but training without the right facilities can make skills go rusty.

“That is why the Ministry, through the Medical Trust Fund, has taken up the responsibility of further training. Three doctors, along with biomedical engineers, nurses, and all personnel who will be needed at the centre, are being trained. And we are not waiting for the centre to be completed before this training begins.”

The consultative forum where the announcement was made was held under the theme “70 Years of Impacting Lives: The Role of Quality in the Pursuit of Excellence.”