The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospi­tal (KBTH) has disclosed plans to establish an ultramodern learning, research and inno­vation centre to enhance its health service delivery in a bid to remain at the forefront of medical progress both locally and internationally.

Dubbed, the "Legacy Project", the estimated $ 18 million facility expected to be completed in the next two years, would serve as a one-stop reference for medical discoveries to address present and future health problems. • Dr Ampomah briefing journalists at the ceremony It will include conferencing facilities, research hubs and learning spots where staff could hone their skills to catch up with contemporary tech­niques in the provision of quality care.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, made this known to journalists at the climax of KBTH's maiden "Health Fest and Photo Exhibition" in Accra yesterday.

The three-day event as part of the hospital's centenary celebration was to showcase the jour­ney of the hospital while highlighting its major achievement over the years.

Bringing together over 50 exhibitors display­ing novelties from the hospital's various depart­ments and private sector players, the event also provided free medical screening and network­ing opportunities for both staff and the public as well as forums on modern issues in health. "Korle-Bu is the biggest hospital that pro­vides both postgraduate and undergraduate training for all the different cadets of health­care personnel and so it's important that if we want to be relevant in the future, we have to be innovative and that is what this centre seeks to do to support innovation within and outside the hospital so that we can always improve on what we do," Dr Ampomah said.

The CEO said moving forward, the hospi­tal viewed its clients as its major stakeholders and was therefore putting measures in place to maintain and boost patient's confidence in the hospital. "We have started a patient feedback system so that we will take note of the specific con­cerns of patients in order to address them," he said, pleading with the media to tone down on always portraying Korle-Bu in a bad light.

He said the incessant negative image of Korle-Bu in the eyes of the public not only im­pacted on people's confidence in the institution but their health seeking behaviour accounting for many preventable deaths because they often reported at the hospital at the late stages of their conditions. "We are not saying that Korle-Bu is perfect but what we are saying is that work with us, let's work together as a society and get us better because as for healthcare, we do not know when we will be patients ourselves so it is in the interest of both staff, the patients, everybody, to make sure that Korle-Bu works for all of us," he urged.

Dr Ampomah assured that management will do all within its power to maintain KBTH as a hospital of excellence saying; "Korle-Bu is your institution.

This is a national asset.

It belongs to all of us and it's important that we all play our role as stakeholders to make sure that Korle-Bu continues to succeed and continues to do well."  BY ABIGAIL ANNOH