The commendation followed oversight visits by the committee to the project sites at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on October 13 and 14, respectively.
While the facility at Korle Bu has been completed and fully equipped, work on the Kumasi project is expected to be completed by December this year.
The projects form part of efforts to expand access to specialised cardiac care beyond the capital, with another centre being developed in Tamale to serve patients in the northern part of the country.
ADB Ghana Medical Systems Group, a Ghanaian-owned contractor, is undertaking the projects using locally based personnel and expertise.
During the Kumasi visit, the Member of Parliament for Lambussie and Board Chair of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Titus Beyuo, commended the contractor for the progress made but urged it to expedite work to meet the December completion target.
He said the timely completion of the facility was important to improving access to specialised heart care, particularly for patients who might otherwise have to travel to Accra for treatment.
Dr Beyuo, who spoke during the committee’s oversight visit, also stressed the need to train specialised health professionals to operate the facility, noting that infrastructure development must be matched with the availability of skilled personnel.
He commended President John Dramani Mahama for the initiative to establish cardiac catheterisation laboratories outside Accra, saying the expansion would help address gaps in access to critical cardiac services.
According to him, the initiative was prompted by the death of a doctor associated with KATH, which highlighted the need to make cardiac catheterisation services more accessible.
“We will thank President Mahama. The reason why he brought cath labs to Ghana began from here. It was after one doctor from here lost his life,” he said.
Dr Beyuo said the President had indicated that the facilities should not be limited to Korle Bu but should also be established in other parts of the country, including the Northern Region.
He further urged the contractor to maintain the pace of work and ensure that the KATH centre was completed on schedule, alongside preparations to train personnel who would operate the facility.
At Korle Bu, the committee inspected the completed and equipped cardiac facility, which is expected to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to provide specialised interventions for patients with heart conditions.
Videos from the Accra visit also show a Member of Parliament explaining how the laboratory has helped save lives, highlighting the importance of having the necessary infrastructure available to diagnose and treat serious cardiac conditions.
The progress at Korle Bu provides an indication of the potential benefits of the initiative as work continues on the centres in Kumasi and Tamale.
Beyond the cardiac projects, ADB Ghana Medical Systems Group is also contributing to the development of specialised healthcare infrastructure in the Ashanti Region through its involvement in the $100 million Otumfuo Cancer Centre project in Kumasi.
