Sankofaonline Editorial Desk
Pictures below are artists’ renditions of the proposed new Mother and Child Block at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the so‑called pride of Ghana’s medical system, is today a painful contradiction. On one side, President John Dramani Mahama is preparing to cut sod for a state‑of‑the‑art 400‑bed Mother and Child Block. On the other side, the rest of Korle Bu is collapsing in disgraceful silence.
The Surgical Block, the Medical Block, the Fevers Unit, and several allied departments have become monuments of neglect, crumbling structures that insult the very idea of a national referral center.
With All Due Respect Media reports that land preparation has begun for the new Mother and Child Block, a modern facility intended to replace the dilapidated Maternity Unit. This is commendable. But Ghana must stop pretending that one shining building can hide the rot surrounding it. Korle Bu is not suffering from minor cracks. It is suffering from institutional abandonment.
The New Block, A Hospital Within a Hospital
The upcoming Mother and Child Block is designed as a complete medical ecosystem, containing
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Wards
- Labour and Delivery Suites
- Operating Theatres
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU
- High Dependency Unit, HDU
- Intensive Care Unit, ICU
- IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology Centre
- Antenatal and Postnatal Clinics
- Fertility and Reproductive Health Clinics
- Breastfeeding and Family Planning Units
- Emergency Obstetric Care Unit
- Diagnostic Imaging Department
- Laboratory and Blood Bank Facilities
- Pharmacy Department
- Central Sterile Services Department, CSSD
- Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Units
- Teaching, Research, and Conference Facilities
This is the kind of infrastructure that proves Ghana can build world‑class medical facilities when it chooses to. But it also exposes a national hypocrisy: why invest in excellence while allowing the rest of Korle Bu to rot?
The Other Side of Korle Bu, A Crumbling Giant
The Surgical Block is a disgrace. Walls are peeling, roofs leak, elevators malfunction, and sanitation is an embarrassment. The Medical Block, once the intellectual engine of internal medicine, is now a shadow of itself, plagued by broken plumbing, overcrowded wards, and outdated equipment. The Fevers Unit, historically central to infectious disease management, has become an eyesore, its surroundings littered, its structure visibly fatigued.
Research and staff testimonies reveal a disturbing pattern,
- Diagnostic machines frequently break down
- Ventilation systems in several wards are non‑functional
- Washrooms are in deplorable condition
- Waste management is inconsistent and unsafe
- Structural cracks and water damage are widespread
- Elevators fail repeatedly, forcing patients to be carried manually
- Several departments operate with improvised or obsolete equipment
These failures are not inconveniences. They are life‑threatening. They are unacceptable. They are a national shame.
A National Call to Action, Let the Other Blocks Follow
President Mahama’s Mother and Child Block is a powerful beginning, but Ghana must stop celebrating half‑victories. A single ultramodern block surrounded by collapsing structures is not progress. It is denial. It is cosmetic development. It is a refusal to confront the full truth.
The Surgical Block must follow.
The Medical Block must follow.
The Fevers Unit must follow.
Every allied department must follow.
Korle Bu is not just a hospital. It is the beating heart of Ghana’s medical system, the training ground for doctors, nurses, specialists, and researchers. Its decay is a national emergency, not a departmental inconvenience.
If Ghana can build a 400‑bed Mother and Child Block with world‑class facilities, then Ghana can certainly restore the rest of Korle Bu to the standard our citizens deserve.
The Moment of Truth, A Chance to Rebuild Completely
This new project is a promise, a declaration that Ghana is ready to rebuild, ready to modernize, ready to protect life with dignity. But promises must be comprehensive. They must be sustained. They must be national in scope.
Korle Bu must rise again, not partially, not selectively, but completely.
The Mother and Child Block is the spark, the rest of the hospital must become the flame.
