The management of Ho Teaching Hospital, Volta Region, is poised to transform the facility into a hub for medical tourism in Ghana through its health care delivery.

Speaking at the 2024 Performance Annual Review Meeting themed, 'Focusing on Stakeholder Participation in Innovative Tertiary Healthcare for Medical Tourism,' Chief Executive Dr John Tampuori revealed the facility was advancing its vision to become Ghana’s leading medical tourism hub, despite confronting challenges of increasing patient load, overcrowding wards, and a rising mortality rate.

He indicated the hospital’s service delivery had expanded significantly, with an increasing number of patients seeking medical care for various health challenges.

This, according to him, resulted in shortage of beds and and increased number of mortality rates.

During his welcome address, Dr Tampuori noted the current staff number was 1,590, recorded in 2024, as against 1,532 from 2023.

The clinical staff from the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho, who contributed to service delivery did not form part of the figures mentioned, he noted.

"Despite the increase in the human resource, we have also experienced an increase in attrition and separation, increasing from 63 in 2023 to 83 in 2024, but we remain steadfast in our efforts to retain and attract the best talent to deliver the innovative tertiary health care, medical education and research aimed at making the hospital the medical tourism destination in Ghana," he said.

He added the Outpatient Department (OPD) had also seen a significant increase from 211,104 in 2023 to 212,129 in 2024, reflecting the growing trust and confidence reposed in the facility by the community.

Meanwhile, the total admissions at the hospital was revealed to have reduced from 11,769 in 2023 to 10,936 in 2024. 

The hospital's bed occupancy rates had seen a significant rise from 68.9 percent in 2023 to 73.5 percent in 2024, also. Meanwhile, the average length of hospital admission remained at six days, with a total of 2,518 surgeries performed in 2024, a slight decrease from 2,571 in 2023.

The Ho teaching hospital recorded a rise in maternal deaths from 18 in 2023 to 20 in 2024, representing 1,170 per 100,000 live births, and a reduction in live birth to 1,550 in 2024 from 1,799 in 2023.

However, the hospital has seen a decrease in neonatal deaths from 63 in 2023 to 55 in 2024, representing 833 per 1000 live births.

Dr Tampuori reaffirmed hospital was committed to improving maternal and neonatal healthcare services to further reduce mortality rates.

Ho Teaching Hospital has seen improvements in its diagnostic services: Radiology procedures increased from 19,622 in 2023 to 20,050 in 2024. Ultrasound procedures rose from 6,799 in 2023 to 8,041 in 2024. Laboratory procedures increased from 124,596 in 2023 to 128,635 in 2024.

Dr Tampuori revealed the hospital’s strategic collaborations with both local and international healthcare organisations to improve service quality and make the facility more attractive.

He also mentioned the increase in total hospital deaths, which rose from 1,002 in 2023 to 1,010 in 2024, with the mortality rate increasing from 8.6 percent to 9.4 percent.

He assured that HTH remained committed to stemming this trend through continuous improvement and innovation in healthcare delivery.

"Consistent with our goal to excel as the leading tertiary healthcare institution, we have forged strategic collaboration with esteemed healthcare institutions both locally and internationally. These partnerships facilitate the exchange of knowledge, expertise and resources, ultimately enhancing our ability to provide exceptional healthcare services," Dr Tampuori assured.

Meanwhile, Mr Kafui Kanyi, the Medical Tourism Coordinator at Ho Teaching Hospital (Trafalgar) noted that developing a medical tourism sector in Ghana could create jobs across healthcare, transportation, accommodation, and tourism, ultimately boosting the country’s GDP.

He called on the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Arts & Culture to develop health tourism as a specialised sector, similar to eco-tourism, to attract international patients.

"The Ministry of Health must empower hospitals to undergo international accreditation to meet global healthcare standards, introduce medical travel policies to position Ghana as a competitive destination for healthcare services, to establish a Health Tourism Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Health to achieve a positive outcome," he urged.

On his part, the Volta Regional Minister James Gunu, commended the management and staff of HTH for their unwavering commitment to quality healthcare and the hospital's achievements, including the completion of a Teaching Hospital Annex, a CT scan centre, and a Family Health Centre.

He assured the management of the government's commitment to supporting the hospital in delivering specialised services. As outlined in the 2025 budget, HTH is set for an upgrade to a comprehensive specialist hospital, which will enhance healthcare accessibility in the Volta Region.

Mr Gunu again noted the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would provide better financial support for hospitals and patients.

James Gunu revealed the proposal for a 500-bed expansion project, pending government approval, describing it as a testament to the hospital’s ambition to provide world-class medical services.

"Healthcare is a collective responsibility, and I will continue to engage all relevant stakeholders to ensure HTH gets the necessary support. Together, we will strengthen our healthcare system and position HTH as a leader in medical tourism in Ghana," he assured.