The company’s involvement covers areas including hospital engineering, construction, maintenance and project management, as the centre takes shape on a 52-acre site in the Ejisu Municipality.
The five-year project, named after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is being funded by Breast Care International (BCI), Peace and Love Hospitals, Global Health Catalyst and the University of Pennsylvania.
The overall project is estimated to cost $100 million, with the first phase estimated at $10 million.
The first phase will include a radiotherapy suite, research wing, artificial intelligence hub, education centre and community outreach facilities.
President of BCI and Founding Director of the Centre, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, said the project was expected to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to provide advanced cancer care.
She said the centre would also support medical tourism and reduce the need for cancer patients from Africa to travel outside the continent for treatment.
When completed, the centre is expected to have a chemotherapy suite, brachytherapy suite, CT scan simulators, admission wards, laboratories, surgical theatres and recovery wards, among other facilities.
It is also expected to provide services in cancer treatment, research, training and community outreach.
ADB’s role
ADB Ghana Medical Systems, established in 2006 by Adann Benjamin Diaz, initially focused on the supply of medical equipment but has since expanded its services to include hospital engineering, infrastructure, maintenance and project management.
Its work on the cancer centre forms part of that expansion, with the company involved in the planning and development of technical systems required to support the operation of specialised health facilities.
Mr Diaz said the company’s involvement in healthcare infrastructure was intended to complement its traditional medical equipment supply business.
“Our ambition is not simply to supply medical equipment. We want to build a company that provides solutions, develops expertise and contributes meaningfully to the infrastructure required for quality healthcare delivery in Ghana and across Africa,” he said.
The company has also been involved in the development of a specialist cardiology facility at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
The facility is expected to provide specialised cardiac services, including procedures that previously required some patients in the Ashanti Region to travel to Accra.
A recent technical working visit to the KATH project site brought together representatives of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, KATH and the Ministry of Health to assess aspects of the project, including power capacity, utilities integration and structural planning.
The projects highlight the technical requirements involved in developing specialised healthcare facilities, where medical equipment has to be supported by appropriate electrical, structural and utility systems.
Mr Diaz said ADB Ghana Medical Systems was also looking at opportunities to expand its operations into other West African markets.
He said indigenous companies had a role to play in addressing healthcare infrastructure needs on the continent.
“We believe indigenous companies have an important role to play in solving Africa’s healthcare challenges. Our responsibility is to build the expertise, systems and partnerships that allow us to deliver at the highest possible standard,” he said.
He added that the ultimate measure of such projects should be their contribution to healthcare delivery and patient care.
