St. Anne’s Polyclinic at Tagadzi gets new surgical theatre block
A new surgical theatre block has been constructed for the St. Anne's Polyclinic at Tagadzi in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.
The theatre will make surgical operations more accessible to the people, especially pregnant women.
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Pregnant women in labour had to cross a river to Battor or be referred to hospitals at Akuse, Akosombo, Peki or Adidome to undergo delivery.
It has been named after former President John Evans Atta Mills.
It was jointly funded by the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and his wife, Nuhela, the traditional authorities, a Spanish-based Catholic non-profit entity, Manos Unidas, and a Kentucky-based NGO, Supplies Overseas.
Fruit of partnership
At the inaugural ceremony, Mr Ablakwa said it was through the “beauty of partnership” that the project was completed.
“What we see here today is the fruit of coming together, collaborating and cooperating and it tells me one thing, that if we are united and come together wiit one purpose in our heart, absolutely nothing can stop us from achieving our objective,” he said.
He thanked the traditional authorities for releasing land for the project, the Catholic church, Manos Unidas which donated €90,000 for the project, Supplies Overseas that provided the medical equipment as well as his wife and 10-year-old daughter, who provided furnishing and paintings respectively for facility.
Naming of block
Explaining why the surgical block was named after former President Atta Mills, Mr Ablakwa said it was the late President who inspired “my whole work ethics and philosophy about service and working with people and thinking about the vulnerable people.”
“Being a leader who is not defined by position but rather impact that you make is the reason why we are dedicating this building to the memory of Prof. Atta Mills
“If you have worked with Prof. Atta Mills, you would know he valued healthcare,” he said, citing the role the former President played in the establishment of the University of Cape Coast Medical School and the University of Health and Allied Sciences, the first public health institution in Ghana.
Appreciation
A Public Health Physician at the Akatsi Catholic Diocese, Dr Momodou Cham, expressed appreciation to Mr Ablakwa for helping to equip the theater as well as helping to get a tax waiver to import an ambulance for the hospital.
“Our MP and his wife immersed themselves fully into this project, event to the point of designing the curtains and paints and providing a microwave, a fridge and television set for the staff who will be spending countless hours working in the theatre to save lives,” he said.