The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has held its 2016 midyear review to take stock of the hospital’s performance for the first half of the year.

Notwithstanding the challenges facing the hospital, such us delayed reimbursement from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), obsolete and inadequate infrastructure, the hospital has made some progress.

Speaking at the review, the chief executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Joseph Akpaloo said the hospital recorded 131,326 Specialist out Patient Attendance (OPD) cases, an increase of 4.50 percent over the 2015 midyear figure of 125,670 while surgical Operations increased from 8,488 in 2015 to 9,729 in 2016 representing an increase of 14.62 percent.

According to him, maternal mortality rate at the hospital has seen a significant drop, from a high half figure of 1077.80 per 100,000 live births in 2015 dropped to 791.38 per 100,000 live births during the first half of 2016. This was achieved as a result of the outreach programme carried out at the peripheral hospitals in the region and beyond by their senior specialists and consultants from the obstetrics and gynecology and Child Health Directorates.

The CEO also stated that, the hospital spent GHC1,000,000 from its internally Generated Funds to procure equipment to help improve patient care at the hospital.

Amongst the equipment procured by the hospital are three state of the arts anesthetic machines valued at GHC285,000, new air compressor dryers were also procured at the cost of GHC139,000 to improve the quality of oxygen produced at the hospital.

However, Dr Joseph Akpaloo appealed to the Ministry of Health for a new Oxygen Plant for the hospital, noting that the current plant is unable to meet the full oxygen need of the hospital.

He stressed the need for all units and management teams to think outside the box in order to mobilize extra resources for improved clinical care as the hospital found it difficult to meet all the financial and logistical obligations of the hospital from internal and state resources.

Antwi Boasiako|Akomafm|3news.com