RIYADH: The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the state-owned premier Saudi aid agency, signed a SR 45 million loan agreement for the construction of a world-class medical facility in Ghana. The loan will help the West African nation to build a "trauma and acute care center" at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the only premier health facility with a tertiary hospital in the southern part of Ghana.
This was disclosed by Hasan Alattas, SFD's director general for technical affairs, in Riyadh yesterday. Alattas pointed out that "the agreement clearly reflects the close relations between Saudi Arabia and Ghana and the genuine efforts made by the Arab nation to support local development projects. The project is aimed at enhancing, facilitating and widening essential health care services," he added.
He said the total commitments of the SFD to Ghana exceeds SR 392 million including the loan for the new health center. The project will comprise three basement floors with the ground floor housing laboratory, medicines and general stores. There will also be a central unit of sterilization, laundry, units for accidents, diagnostic radiation, digital photograph, intensive care, anesthesia recovery and surgical emergency rooms.
The loan agreement was signed by Alattas himself. On behalf of Ghana, Minister of Finance & Economic Planning Kwabena Duffuor inked the accord. Speaking on the occasion, Alattas said that this timely loan facility will help to improve the health service delivery of the teaching hospital in Ghana. He also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Saudi government for its continued generous support and contribution to the socioeconomic development of Ghana.
Alattas said that the Kingdom had been extending support to all African states including Ghana within the framework of its overseas aid program. Most of the African states including Ghana had been suffering from poor health facilities and sanitation. Such loan facilities will help to boost the efforts exerted by the Ghana government especially in the fields of disease prevention, care and treatment of other ailments.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have lent support to Ghana to check the spread of diseases and to extend medical care to its population. In fact, diseases in Ghana are fairly similar to those endemic in other sub-Saharan countries, with ailments such as malaria and HIV/AIDS having significant impact on the population. In the West African country, most health care is provided by the government and largely administered by the Ghana Ministry of Health.
KSA gives Ghana SR 45 m loan for hospital
