The number of interventions launched by the management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in 2023, with the support of the Board and other stakeholders has led to general decline in the number of deaths and increases in admissions, surgeries, OPD attendance, patients experience and revenue.
The said interventions, including improvement of the infrastructure base, operational systems, governance structures, services, staff morale, supervision and discipline at the hospital were part of the new agenda to enhance service outcomes through improved productivity, accountability, staff capacity and welfare, patients’ satisfaction, resource mobilisation, cost reduction, retooling and research capacity.
The Chief Executive officer of the facility disclosed last Wednesday, at the hospital’s 2023 end of year performance review conference, under theme: “The new KATH agenda-recalibrating efforts for enhanced health service outcomes: the role of stakeholders,” that Specialist O.P.D. cases registered during the period was 262,917 as against 256,371 recorded in 2022.
This resulted in the daily Specialist OPD attendance at the hospital moving from 1,041 patients per day in 2022 to 1,086 in 2023 while admissions stood at 30,133 as against 29,790 recorded in the preceding year.
He said surgical operations recorded in 2023 were 18,607 against that of 2022 being 17,215 while Radiotherapy services moved to 5,938 in 2023 from 5,487 in 2022 with Emergency admissions also rising to 26,298 in 2023 from 25,391 recorded in 2022.
Other recorded improved services included Physiotherapy services with an increase from 12,599 in 2022 to 17,634; Radiological services witnessing a record jump in five years with the 2022 output of 57,915 cases rising to 62,158; Laboratory services also went up from 236,428 in 2022 to 247,903 thus contributing to the hospital’s patients’ satisfaction rate improving from 80.7 per cent in 2022 to 85.2 per cent in 2023.
Prof. Addai-Mensah mentioned that in line with the quest to upgrade infrastructure to boost quality of service delivery and patients’ experience at the hospital, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in November 2023 launched a major US$10 million initiative to comprehensively renovate and modernise the “GEE” blocks (Blocks “A, B, C and D) constructed in 1955 to serve as the main inpatient facilities for the hospital.
About 38 percent of the US$ 10 million required for the project, has been realized in pledges and cash donations following generous donations by Justmoh Constructions Limited and Joshob Constructions Limited, among others.
The KATH CEO on behalf of the Board, management, staff and patients of the hospital, expressed appreciation to the Asantehene for his uncommon leadership in spearheading the execution of this project.
He announced that management will continue to invest in the adoption of innovations and conduct of operational research this year as part of the overall strategy to optimize the delivery of tertiary healthcare services at the hospital particularly from the introduction of Thrombolysis services as part of routine stroke care at the hospital aimed at saving patients brought to the hospital in time from disabilities and possible death from strokes.
The Corporate and Special Services Unit (CoSSU) would also be strengthened during the year to allow for busy patients and other corporate executives the opportunity to assess specialist services at the hospital at their convenience besides the introduction of a morning and afternoon clinics at 6:00 am and 12 pm at the Psychiatry Unit.
The CEO assured that management would focus of the completion of a number of on-going projects including the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, Patients Relatives Hostel and the expansion and refurbishment of the Dialysis Centre and that the hospital expects a major improvement in its dialysis services when the three new machines with a six-month supply of consumables procured at close to GHc1.6 m are delivered in April 2024.
He also mentioned that surgical and physiotherapy services are to receive a major boost with the completion of the renovation of the Main Theatre and the Physiotherapy Centre at the combine cost of over GHc3 million.
Prof. Addai-Mensah also announced that the tender processes for the construction of a Pharmacy Complex in phases at the cost of $2.6 million have commenced as part of measures to improve pharmaceutical services at the hospital.
