The Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, Togbega Gabusu VI, has raised serious concerns about the condition of the Volta Regional Hospital in Hohoe, describing the facility as unsafe despite its elevation to regional status.
The chief made the remarks after an unannounced visit to the hospital on Tuesday to assess conditions at the facility. During the visit, he expressed disappointment that the hospital’s new status has not been matched with the necessary improvements in infrastructure and equipment.
According to Togbega Gabusu VI, the hospital now serves as a regional referral centre but continues to operate with outdated medical equipment, congested wards and overstretched facilities. He warned that the situation places both patients and health workers at risk.
“I know the authorities are listening to us and they will act as a matter of urgency to save lives,” he said.
A visit to parts of the hospital by a news team revealed that many sections of the facility remain largely unchanged from the period when it operated as a municipal hospital.
Hospital Administrator Divine Akie also acknowledged some of the challenges facing the facility.
He told journalists that the hospital currently lacks a dedicated surgical ward and an Intensive Care Unit, a situation that limits the level of care the facility can provide.
He noted that the hospital now receives complicated cases from surrounding districts and beyond, making the need for improved infrastructure and equipment even more urgent.
The Volta Regional Hospital began operations on April 5, 1935, and was officially inaugurated by Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, on December 21, 1952.
It was later upgraded to municipal status before becoming a regional hospital in 2019 following the elevation of Trafalgar Hospital into the Ho Teaching Hospital.
