Surgery at Cardio Centre suspended -As gas conveyor is stolen

Page 32: Daily Graphic, May 8, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SURGERY at the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has been suspended following the theft of an 80-metre gas conveyor at the centre.
The Director of the centre, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, told the Daily Graphic that since the copper pipe was stolen two weeks ago, no major operation had taken place at the centre.
The centre performs between eight and 10 major surgeries every week.
It would cost GH¢20,000 to replace the pipe at the cardio centre alone although similar thefts have been reported at other departments of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng explained that there was a general problem with the Oxygen and Compressor Air Plants at the hospital, which affected the centre and the Department of Surgery.
He said when the repairs were undertaken on the plants, it was detected that the centre was still not getting its share of compressor air, which was used to work on ventilators and anaesthetic machines among others.
He said when the technicians decided to check find out the problem, it was realised that about 80 metres of the copper pipe that conveyed medical gases to the centre had been stolen.
Asked if outsiders could have stolen the items, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said it was only insiders who could do that.
That, he explained, was because the pipes were laid underground and there were only two entrances that could be accessed by only Korle Bu staff.
Moreover, he said, the place was so dark that it needed someone who knew the tracks to do any such thing.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said money must be found to replace those pipes immediately to save lives and also prevent cases from piling up.