Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has opened the Tolon District Hospital on the last day of his three-day tour of the Northern Region.

The 60-bed ultramodern hospital is one of the six medical facilities which were started three years ago.

The other facilities are an 80-bed hospital at Somanya in the Eastern Region; 80-bed district hospital at Buipe in the Savanna Region; 60-bed hospital at Wheta in the Volta Region; 60-bed hospital at Sawla in the Savanna Region and a 30-bed polyclinic at Bamboi in the Savanna Region.

The Tolon hospital has an Outpatient and Emergency department; Inpatient wards for males, females and children; an Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Maternity and Child Health) department, Surgery ward including an Intensive Care Unit; a physiotherapy department, pharmacy, diagnostic services unit which offers X-ray, laboratory, and ultrasound services as well as mortuary.

To ensure that the hospital functions without any major obstacles, the full complement of electro-mechanical systems and medical equipment have been provided.

The hospital is fitted with modern medical equipment, key among them being X-ray machines (stationed & mobile), ultrasound and surgical equipment as well as medical gases and patient monitors.

Addressing the chiefs and people of Tolon on Monday, 23 November 2020, Dr Bawumia emphasised that contrary to the propaganda that the NPP government has not put up any hospital over the past four years, "today’s event is a testament to the fact that truth crawls but will always triumph over falsehood”.

"All of these facilities are practically complete and will be inaugurated one after the other by the close of the year 2020. The President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has already inaugurated the 60-bed ultramodern district hospital at Wheta in the Ketu North District on 20 October 2020. The rest will follow soon."

Dr Bawumia indicated that: "Under the Agenda 111, the government, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is cutting sods for new hospitals to be constructed in districts without one. The government is also commissioning already-completed ones.  This will ensure access to healthcare as envisioned in the Universal Health Coverage programme."

The Vice-President stressed the government’s commitment to providing quality, accessible and affordable healthcare in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, is still on the front burner, and the projects in Somanya, Wheta, Sawla, Buipe, Bamboi and Tolon will improve the stock of Infrastructural facilities, and as a result close the equity gaps in geographical access to health services.

"The interventions made by the government in the health sector have been timely, particularly on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic. We would have succumbed to the devastating effect of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic but for the skillful management of the pandemic by the Ghana Health Service and health workers.  

"Indeed, together with all health workers and the support of our traditional leaders and other key stakeholders, we have demonstrated our outstanding commitment to promoting the health and wellbeing of all residents in Ghana. We shall continue to sustain our agenda of building a robust, resilient and sustainable health care system for current and future generations."

Bemoaning the absence of a culture of maintenance for our facilities, Dr Bawumia expressed delight that the scope of the Tolon and other projects have been designed to address the issues of maintenance and sustainability with a two-year post-completion maintenance and training programme.

"On this score, I will entreat the Ghana Health Service to liaise with the Contractor’s maintenance team to effectively maintain the hospital.

"Beyond the 2-year period, I expect a full transfer of Knowledge and skills so that the hospital does not run down as has happened to most public facilities. The joy we are sharing today must translate into the maintenance and management of this facility," he stressed.