La General Hospital to shut down on March 1

The La General Hospital will shut down by March 1, 2020, the Ministry of Health has announced. This is to pave way for rehabilitation to meet international requirements. The hospital, which was formerly known as the La Polyclinic, was established to provide healthcare to the general public especially those in La and its surrounding areas. Thousands of clients rely on the facility for primary healthcare though lately for general care. The Hospital has a five-bedroom emergency unit to serve the needs of patients in critical conditions. There is also an incinerator, a waste management facility and a walkway to link the Out-Patients Department (OPD) to the wards. The facility has a Surgical Unit, Labour Wards, Theater and Theater Rooms, Children’s Ward, Administration Block, Physiotherapy Unit, Laboratory and a Mortuary. For years, the facility has served the people of La and surrounding areas. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Health, Elorm Ametepe, told editors.3news.com in an interview that despite all its facilities, the La General Hospital is unsafe for clients in its current state. “We will officially take over the facility on March 15, 2020 for rehabilitation works to commence although it will be shut down on March 1, 2020 by the hospital authorities.” But this news has not been welcomed by patients and residents. Rita, who spoke in Akan, said the facility is the place where she accesses healthcare and was wondering where she will seek medical care after the shutdown. Helen Owusu also told editors.3news.com how the shutdown of the morgue will affect residents. She is worried pulling down the morgue will release certain insects into their homes and asked that the facility be sprayed before shutdown. “The authorities have to spray the area especially the morgue before the shutdown otherwise, rats and other animals will enter our homes.” Nii Osa, a taxi driver, said he will lose a lot of customers and would have to find another location to ensure his taxi business thrives. By Mercydalyne Lokko|editors.3news.com|Ghana