Ranking Member of the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has issued another ultimatum to the government and management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, calling for the immediate repair of broken elevators at the hospital’s critical departments.
The call follows an inspection of the hospital’s facilities, during which he found several elevators in disrepair, posing serious risks to patients and staff.
During another visit on Tuesday, September 2, Akandoh acknowledged that the elevators at the surgery department had been repaired, within hours of a 24-hour ultimatum he issued on Monday.
He said, “Yesterday we were here to inspect the elevators which were not working. We went to the surgical ward and realized they were not working.”
“Four to five hours later, we were told the surgical ward lift was working. Indeed, today we’ve come to check that the surgical ward lift is working,” Akandoh stated.
However, The Juaboso MP noted that other hospital elevators, particularly in departments like radiology and maternity, remain dysfunctional.
Akandoh expressed concern over the condition of the elevators in the maternity block, citing the potential dangers it poses to expectant mothers in critical situations.
“The lift at the maternity block is malfunctioning. When you enter, whatever you press, you don’t know where you are going. We pressed floor six, but it didn’t take us there. Unless somebody on a particular floor calls the lift, it will not move,” he explained.
The other lift is completely broken and not working.
Akandoh emphasized the urgency of the repairs, pointing out the life-threatening risks if an emergency were to occur while the elevators were out of service.
“Can you imagine if somebody is in labor, an emergency, she gets into the lift, and it’s not moving?”
The Ranking Member called on President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Health Minister, and the management of Korle Bu to ensure that the remaining faulty lifts are repaired within 24 hours.
He added that Korle Bu, as Ghana’s premier referral hospital, requires urgent attention and modernization.
“If you look at the state in which Korle Bu finds itself, it’s appalling, it’s nasty, and I think Korle Bu needs a total rebuild,” he stressed.
Akandoh also criticized the hospital’s management for prioritizing the elevator at the CEO’s office while neglecting those critical to patient care.
“Why is the elevator at the CEO’s office working? Why would that one be working, and what will carry the patients will not be working,” he questioned.
The Ranking member promised to return to Korle Bu again and again if the situation is not rectified and warned, “Not until these elevators are fixed, I promise them I’ll come back again,” he vowed.
He stressed that issuing press statements in response to the complaints is not enough—action is required to ensure the safety and functionality of the hospital’s infrastructure.
