Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

History

Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was established on 9 October 1923 and has grown from an initial 200-bed capacity to 2,000. It is currently the third largest hospital in Africa and the leading national referral centre in Ghana. Korle-Bu, which means in the Ga language "the valley of the Korle Lagoon", was established as a general hospital to address the health needs of the indigenous people under the administration of Sir Gordon Guggisberg, then Governor of the Gold Coast.

Population growth and the proven efficacy of hospital-based treatment caused a rise in hospital attendance in Korle-Bu. By 1953, demand for the hospital's services had escalated so high that the government was compelled to set up a task force to study the situation and make recommendations for the expansion of the hospital.

The government accepted and implemented the recommendations of the task force which resulted in the construction of new structures, such as the Maternity, Medical, Surgical and Child Health Blocks. This increased the hospital's bed capacity to 1,200.

Korle-Bu gained teaching hospital status in 1962, when the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) was established for the training of medical doctors.

The University of Ghana Medical School and five other constituent schools are now subsumed under the College of Health Sciences to train an array of health professionals. All the institutions of the college however, undertake their clinical training and research in the hospital.

The hospital currently has 2,000 beds and 17 clinical and diagnostic Departments/Units. It has an average daily attendance of 1,500 patients and about 250 patient admissions.

Clinical and diagnostic departments of the hospital include Medicine, Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology, Laboratories, Radiology, Anaesthesia, Surgery, Polyclinic, Accident Centre and the Surgical/Medical Emergency as well as Pharmacy. Other departments include Pharmacy, Finance, Engineering, General Administration.

The hospital also provides specialisation in various fields such as Neuro-surgery, Dentistry, Eye, ENT, Renal, Orthopaedics, Oncology, Dermatology, Cardiothoracic, Radiotherapy, Radio diagnosis, Paediatric Surgery and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns.

The Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burn Centre, the National Cardiothoracic Centre and the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine in particular also draw a sizeable number of their clientele from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Togo.

Plans are underway to venture into molecular testing. All these are part of the grand plan to offer a wider spectrum of specialist care to position Ghana as the hub of health tourism within the West Africa Sub region.

In September 2023, the hospital came under heavy national discourse when it was reported to have increased the price of dialysis. However, the hospital later apologised to Ghanaians for the disquiet caused as the alleged new fee had not been approved. On 29 September 2023, the government through the ministry of health summoned the management of the Hospital over the yet to be implemented increament of the cost of dialysis.

In April 2023, the Vice-President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia inaugurated a $100 million catheterization laboratory for the hospital. This was aimed at improving and supporting accurate imaging and sensing of diseases. In October 2024, the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo inaugurated a state-of-the-art Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence to provide care for patients with urological and nephrological conditions.

Institutions

The hospital has a very large campus and has expanded to host a number of institutions. The list includes the following:

• University of Ghana Medical School
• University of Ghana Dental School
• University of Ghana School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences
• Nurses Training College
• Midwifery Training School
• Ghana Medical Association
• Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists
• School of Hygiene(Preventive medicine)
• School of Radiology
• school of Peri-operative and critical care nursing
• Ophthalmic Nursing school

Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation

The Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation (KBNF) is a project in aid of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. It was founded by Marjorie Ratel, a nurse of neuroscience in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The KBNF was involved in the foundation of the Korle-Bu Neuroscience Center.

References

References

1. Govindaraj, Ramesh. (August 1996). "Hospital Autonomy in Ghana: The Experience of Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals". School of Public Health, University of Ghana and Harvard School of Public Health.
2. "Gold Coast under Colonial Rule 1902–1951". BusinessGhana.
3. (30 May 2024). "Korle Bu Teaching Hospital launches centenary paraphernalia".
4. (19 May 2021). "AMA warns toilet operators over newspaper usage".
5. (2022-04-22). "Accident at Atibie kills one, injures two".
6. "Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital now HeFRA certified".
7. "Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital". Ministry of Health.
8. (10 March 2021). "Ghana Month: How Korle Bu, 37 and other big hospitals earned their names".
9. (8 June 2020). "Emmanuel Opoku Oduro's thoughts ... Korle Bu: The pride of health care delivery in Ghana - The Business & Financial Times".
10. (28 September 2023). "Korle Bu dialysis fees hike: Our leaders are level one thinkers who take Ghanaians for idiots – Kofi Koranteng fumes".
11. Akata, Doreen Abena Kyerewaa. (27 September 2023). "Korle Bu blames high taxes, removal of subsidies for 100% hike in dialysis cost".
12. Gyesi, Zadok Kwame. (28 September 2023). "U-turn: Korle-Bu agrees to review proposed new cost of dialysis downwards".
13. Adogla-Bessa, Delali. (28 September 2023). "Kidney Dialysis: Korle-Bu Hospital CEO Clarifies That Cost Of Treatment Has Not Been Increased".
14. Tornyi, Emmanuel. (2023-09-29). "Health Ministry summons management of Korle-Bu over GH¢765 cost of dialysis".
15. Arthur-Mensah, Godwill. (25 April 2023). "Veep inaugurates one-million-dollar Catheterization Laboratory for Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital".
16. Nartey, Laud. (2024-10-20). "Akufo-Addo commissions Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence at Korle Bu".
17. Gibril Koroma. (28 August 2008). "Ghana Fest 2008". The Patriotic Vanguard.
18. (16 March 2011). "Engaging Diaspora in Development speakers". [[The Vancouver Sun]].
19. (5 February 2008). "UTMB neuroscientist hopes to bring expertise to Ghana". Guidry News Service.