Renovation of Korle Bu Audiology Center to cost $500k

Posted: The Chronicle | Friday, June 19, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Management of the nation’s premier health facility, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), have started counting the cost involved in renovating the Hearing Assessment Centre-Audiology, which was razed down by fire on Tuesday night.

Initial and provisional estimates provided by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the hospital, Mustapha, indicates that they may need about US$500,000 to put the place back in shape, since the extent of damage was extensive.

In an interview with The Chronicle on Wednesday, Mustapha noted that the hospital spent over US$200,000 in putting up the building and staffing it with equipment in the year 2005.

Under the current circumstance, with the rising cost in goods and services and the rapid growth in inflation, he noted that the cost involved in resuscitating the facility would be more than double the figure used in constructing it.

The fire, which gutted the Hearing Assessment Centre-Audiology, which is part of the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the hospital, started around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening, when staff of the facility had closed from work, and left for their various homes.

Some staff of the hospital, who were around the area at the time of the incident and saw smoke coming out of the building, raised an alarm, which made the authorities call in personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to put it out.

The fire destroyed the ceiling of the building, and caused serious damage to equipment and the building itself.

Before personnel of the Fire Service arrived at the scene at 6:00 p.m., some of the hospital’s security men, who have been trained in firefighting, used extinguishers to battle the flame.

By that time, thick smoke had covered the whole vicinity, compelling authorities of the hospital to evacuate children-patients and their caretakers at the Children’s Block, which is close to the Hearing Centre, to the Central Out-Patient Department (OPD) for safety.

It is however not clear whether the little equipment retrieved from the building would be in good shape for use.

The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Professor Otu Nartey, arrived at the scene at a time the fire had virtually been put off, around 7:38 p.m.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area (Ablekuma-South constituency) and Board Member of the hospital, Mr. Fritz Baffour, arrived at the scene around 6:45 p.m. to observe things.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical problem, which may have erupted as a result of the recent intermittent power outages.

Meanwhile, the management of the hospital has launched an appeal for funds to put the Hearing Centre back in shape, considering its invaluable purpose to the hospital and humanity.