From left: Alfred Vanderpuije, Professor Otu Nettey and Rev. Professor Ayeetey at one of the hospital’s overflowing waste disposal sites
ACCRA MAYOR, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije has announced the direct absorption of liquid waste from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) by his assembly to salvage the current sewage management problem facing the hospital.
The mayor said in order to stop the ongoing spillage of the hospital’s sewage into the open, “from tomorrow, sewage trucks will be posted here to start direct drainage of the sewage as a temporary solution to the problem.”
He said the assembly will also rehabilitate all damaged underground pipes as well as the hospital’s waste treatment plants which have become dysfunctional to permanently solve the problem.
Vanderpuije made this promise when he interacted with the authorities of KBTH during a visit to the hospital to get first hand information about the situation.
He said it was appropriate for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to step in and give the hospital a helping hand considering the service it renders to the country and the West African sub-region as a whole.
“We are here to support you so you won’t have to worry about handling waste but about the patients,” he said.
The AMA boss further noted the assembly is in the process of constructing a model liquid waste plant at ‘Lavender Hill’ to replace direct spillage of the city’s liquid waste into the sea.
Rev. Professor. Seth Andrew Ayeetey, Board Chairman of the hospital acknowledging the efforts of AMA, said due to ageing infrastructure at the hospital, it is now facing difficulties managing waste.
“Next year the hospital will be ninety years old so that tells you how long these underground pipes have been there,” Rev. Prof. Ayeetey said.
He however said a Canadian energy company called ENECO together with Zoomlion Ghana Limited has expressed an interest in recycling the waste to generate energy for the hospital.
“The Canadian company will be visiting in March to start the ground work with Zoomlion if permission is given by city authorities.”
KBTH Chief Executive, Professor Otu Nettey expressed his appreciation to the AMA for its support saying the intervention was timely as almost all the sewage plants used by the hospital have broken down.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
