St. Joseph’s Hospital, located in the Eastern Regional Capital of Ghana, serves approximately 250,000 people as a Catholic Mission Hospital dedicated to providing effective and affordable care in Primary Health, General Medicine, and Orthopedic Trauma to all, regardless of ethnic or religious background. With around 180 beds, it is one of the few orthopedic hospitals in Ghana, attracting patients from across West Africa, including neighboring countries like Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Togo.
The hospital is committed to delivering high-quality healthcare, sponsoring local doctors and healthcare professionals for postgraduate training in the U.K. There are plans to upgrade its facilities and care standards to those of a University Teaching Hospital. In 2004, the hospital treated 32,192 new outpatients and 9,881 returning patients, with a significant portion coming from outside the Eastern Region and neighboring countries. Of the 1,262 total admissions, 53 resulted in death, and 1,119 surgical procedures were performed, with 60% related to orthopedic trauma. The Primary Health Care Unit also diagnosed 60 new AIDS patients that year.
Despite its efforts, St. Joseph’s faces challenges such as limited funding, unpaid patient bills, shortages of skilled staff, medical materials, and the high cost of implants, leading to long waiting periods for patients with bone and joint conditions. The sudden death of a Senior Orthopedic Surgeon in 2006 left the hospital with only one orthopedic surgeon to handle an increasing workload.
The hospital has approximately 150 employees, with the Government of Ghana supporting it by paying staff salaries. St. Joseph’s has sought international support, welcoming orthopedic and surgical teams from Germany, Holland, and the UK (including Motec Life-UK) to help improve patient care. Local healthcare workers are dedicated to enhancing the services they provide but require ongoing support, particularly in education, basic facilities, sterilization, and peri-operative care, to meet the needs of their patients. The commitment of the local staff drives continued support for building the hospital’s infrastructure and skills.
Website: St. Joseph hospital
St. Joseph Hospital in Koforidua remains a vital healthcare institution in the Eastern Region, providing medical services, education, and research. Its dedication to orthopedic excellence, in particular, has made it a renowned facility within Ghana’s healthcare system.
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