A major upgrade to emergency healthcare in the Volta Region has been realized with the official handover of a modern Accident and Emergency (A&E) block extension at the Ho Teaching Hospital, funded by the MTN Ghana Foundation.
The new facility, constructed and equipped at a cost of more than GHS 15 million, is expected to significantly improve the hospital’s ability to respond to trauma, accidents and life-threatening medical emergencies across the region.
At a brief ceremony in Ho, health officials, government representatives and traditional leaders described the project as a lifeline for patients whose survival often depends on the speed of medical intervention.
The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr. Hintermann K. K. Mbroh, said emergency care remains the most crucial entry point into the healthcare system.
According to him, the expansion of the emergency centre will enable doctors and nurses to respond more effectively during the most critical moments when patients arrive in distress.
“Emergency care is the front door of every hospital. In moments of trauma, sudden illness and crisis, the difference between life and death often depends on how quickly and effectively care can be provided,” he said.
Dr. Mbroh noted that the facility will help reduce pressure on existing services while improving patient flow and treatment outcomes.
He expressed gratitude to the MTN Foundation for what he described as a strategic investment in public health, stressing that infrastructure alone is not enough without committed health professionals who will ensure the facility delivers quality care.
Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, said the project reflects the company’s long-standing belief that healthcare is a shared responsibility.
She explained that the facility forms part of the foundation’s broader mission to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system through targeted investments.
“Health is life. It is not a privilege; it is a right. It is not a gift; it is a shared responsibility,” she said.
Madam Wiafe indicated that the new emergency block was designed to ease congestion, improve emergency response and enhance referral services within the region.
She said the centre’s real value lies not in its cost but in the lives it will save.
Modern Equipment to Support Doctors
The emergency centre has been fitted with advanced medical equipment to support rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Among the equipment installed are cardiac and patient monitors, portable ultrasound machines, defibrillators with pacer functions, electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, mechanical ventilators and non-invasive ventilators.
The facility also includes arterial blood gas analyzers, haematology and biochemistry analyzers, infusion pumps, perfusors, suction units, blood warmers and crash carts.
Additional equipment such as patient beds, stretchers, metallic trolleys, examination lamps and a special elevator system have been provided to improve accessibility and patient movement within the building.
Health officials say the equipment will enhance the hospital’s ability to stabilize critically ill patients before further treatment.
Volta Regional Minister James Gunu commended the MTN Ghana Foundation for supporting healthcare development in the region.
He noted that strengthening facilities at the hospital will improve access to emergency services and support the broader national agenda of improving healthcare delivery.
Chairman of the hospital’s governing board, Dr. Delanyo Tsidi Dovlo, said the new centre represents an important step in the hospital’s growth as a teaching institution.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Lydia Aziato, said the hospital plays a critical role in training future health professionals and called for continued investment in specialist facilities to support both education and patient care.
The MTN Ghana Foundation has undertaken several projects in the Volta Region over the years, including the construction of a 60-bed maternity and neonatal intensive care unit at Keta Hospital, refurbishment of health facilities and the development of educational infrastructure.
The foundation says these projects form part of its focus on healthcare, education and economic empowerment across communities in Ghana.
With the new Accident and Emergency block now operational, hospital authorities believe the facility will help reduce referrals to other regions and improve survival rates for critically ill patients.
For many families across the Volta Region, the new centre represents renewed hope that emergency care will be faster, closer and more effective when every second counts.
