Bongo theatre burnt

Story & Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bongo The Medical Superintendent of the Bongo Hospital, Dr. William has appealed to individuals, NGOs , philanthropists and government for the supply of surgery equipments to the district facility to enable them to resume surgical services to the people. The appeal follows a major fire outbreak on Saturday afternoon that razed down the only theatre and vital surgical equipment worth several thousands of cedis crippling surgical activities at the hospital. Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Bongo, Dr. Gudu said the hospital conducts elective and emergency cases on several people from the entire district and adjourning districts and that the damage caused by the fire was so enormous that clients requiring surgeries will have to visit other facilities in the region. The theatre and adjoining rooms was totally razed on Saturday at about 3pm. Items destroyed the theatre included two anesthetic machines, an incubator, surgical equipments, a refrigerators and other medical equipments. There were no casualties according to Dr Gudu as personnel of the fire Service in Bongo responded swiftly to assist put quench the blaze. He said on the said day, he had reported to the facility at about 7 am and conducted ward rounds till about 12 pm when he retired to the house.. Dr. Gudu while at home, he received call from the hospital that a female nurse had detected a smoke coming from the main operating room. he said he instructed that the main electric switch be put off while attempts were made to call the electrician in charge to fix the problem. he added that simultaneously, a call was placed on the Emergency line, 192 which went to the Accra where the operator directed that they call the ECG and quickly hang up. At that point, he said a staff rode a motorbike to the offices of the Ghana National Fire Service in Bongo and while he followed p with his car, a distnace that took about three minutes. Dr Gudu said on reaching the offices of the Fire Service, he saw them racing to the scene so he followed up to the facility where with the assistance of the personnel, some community members and staff of the hospital helped in quenching the blaze, an exercise that latest for about an hour. He said it was too early to state the cause of the fire since the theatre had not been used the whole day and as such no electrical gadget was in use. "The only gadget in use was to table top fridges, one containing anesthetic drugs and another water" he said adding that even those where in an adjourning room and not the operating room, where the billow of smoke was coming from. Dr. Gudu said following the disaster, a report has been sent to the Regional Director of Health Services to see what immediate measures can be put in place. Also, he indicated that the District Chief Executive for Bongo, Mr Clement Akugre Tia has visited the facility in the company of officials of NADMO. The DCE he disclosed has instructed NADMO to liaise with the District Fire Service to investigate the cause of the fire and what form of assistance can be offered. Dr. Gudu disclosed that the Bongo hospital which used to be a health post is not properly structured, adding that it’s lay out do not befit a status of a district hospital and requires expansion work to be able to function as expected. He said since the facility was upgraded from a health post to a hospital status, the facility has not witnessed any major expansion and has placed intense pressure on the limited available resources. "Nobody is prepared to help with land for the construction of a new facility. When the issue of expansion cropped up again recently, the assembly with the help of the Paramount Chief of Bongo offered us a vast stretch of land. we are currently going though the proper documentation processes while we await the payment of appropriate compensation to pave way for the construction of a new facility for the district."He said. Meanwhile, the Medical Superintendent recalled an earlier appeal by the MP for the area, Mr. Albert Abongo to support the construction of children's ward to help deal will the serious congestion at the Bongo District Hospital and appeal to him to fulfill the promise. End