Vice-Chancellor Commissions New Dental Chairs at Legon Hospital

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has commissioned three (3) new dental chairs at the newly refurbished Dental Unit of the University Hospital, Legon.

Prof. Amfo expressed her excitement for the commissioning of the newly refurbished Dental Unit equipped with three (3) dental chairs donated through the generosity of some clients - Dr. and Mrs. Brown, and Mr. Kwesi Eghan who received excellent services of the Dental Unit.

She also acknowledged other clients for the varied roles they played towards improving the operations of the Dental Unit. They include Mr. Jassie Sarkodie of IZMATRIX ARCHITECTS, who funded and supervised renovation works to accommodate the additional chairs, Mr. Hugh Brown who donated six (6) new wash hand basins, Reveal Diagnostic Centre for installing new cabinets and the Yonkofa Foundation, through the initiative of Prof. George Armah for their generous donation.

The Vice-Chancellor was elated by the fact that the donations came from people who were delighted by the services rendered by the Dental Unit and are giving back to the Hospital. “I am also happy to note that some of these donations are either from our own staff or initiated by them, as well as from our private clients. This is an indication that the University Health Services is indeed striving to become a Centre of Excellence for health care delivery not only for members of the community but also for our external stakeholders” Prof. Amfo opined.

She applauded the Head of the Dental Unit and the dedicated staff for leaving such a positive and indelible impression on the minds of the said clients and the many other clients who patronise their service.

Prof. Appiah Amfo listed other ongoing projects sponsored by both internal and external stakeholders of the University. These include the construction of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), sponsored by the Rotary Club of Accra, Legon East; and the construction of an Emergency Centre sponsored by the University of Ghana Credit Union in commemoration of their 50th anniversary celebrations.

"As a university, we are committed to customer satisfaction which does not only translate to increased patronage but goodwill such as this which can be valued. In line with improving and sustaining healthcare service delivery for the University community and other clients, I am eagerly waiting for the report of a Committee I recently constituted to come up with suggestions for financing healthcare expenditure at the University. I am optimistic that if their suggestions are successfully implemented, it would go a long way to make healthcare delivery sustainable and improve the quality of life for both our internal and external clients." Prof. Amfo noted

The Vice-Chancellor seized the opportunity to urge all staff to emulate the shining example of the Dental Unit which has earned it an enviable reputation of being customer-focused and delivering excellent services. She further appealed to all internal and external stakeholders to support Management in its quest to improve service delivery not only at the University Hospital but across all institutional processes as captured in the University’s strategic plan.

Prof. Amfo also urged Management and staff of the University Health Services to take good care of the facilities and adopt a good maintenance culture to ensure the longevity of the equipment.

On behalf of Management of the University, the community, and external patrons of the University Hospital, the Vice-Chancellor expressed immense gratitude to all donors for their kind gesture.

Earlier, in a speech read on behalf of the Director of University Health Services, Dr. Joseph Nimako-Boateng Jnr., Head of the Dental Unit took all present down memory lane. He disclosed that the Unit was established in 2005 to cater for the dental needs of staff and students of the University. The Unit began with a single used chair donated by the Dental School. The number was later increased to two (2) chairs. In 2016, the Hospital purchased two (2) more chairs to increase the chair capacity to four (4).

The first chair was replaced in 2017 with a brand-new chair donated by a patient who had received excellent dental care. This patient wanted to remain anonymous, and the gift was duly acknowledged by the University Health Services and the Public Affairs Directorate.

With the increasing demand and utilisation of dental services, there was the need to further increase the number of chairs. The Clinic, thus, solicited for support from some patients, and as a result, three (3) chairs were donated by a couple and another patient, which were being commissioned on the day.

To accommodate all seven dental chairs, the Unit was shut down for a week to allow for renovation works. This was graciously funded and supervised by a patient, who happens to be an architect. The Unit also received new cabinets from one of its partners and six (6) new sinks from another patient of the Unit. In 2021, the Yonkofa Foundation donated assorted dental materials valued in excess of three hundred thousand Ghana cedis (Gh¢300,000.00) through the initiative of Prof. Armah of Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, who is also a patient of the Unit.

Dr. Nimako-Boateng mentioned the lack of space as a major challenge confronting the Dental Unit. “The Unit also has an increased need for more Dental Nurses to assist our Dental Surgeons due to the increased number of operatories”, Dr. Nimako-Boateng noted. He expressed the hope that the Vice-Chancellor will take note of the Unit’s staffing needs and address them accordingly.

Dr. Richard Yohuno, a Dental Surgeon of the Dental Unit, showed the Vice-Chancellor and the dignitaries around the newly refurbished Dental Unit and Prof. Amfo demonstrated usage of dental chairs by operating one of them.

Present at the ceremony were Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, Registrar; Prof. Abeka-Nkrumah, Chairman of Hospital Management Committee (HMC); Mrs. Annie Ayesu, Ag. Hospital Administrator; Mrs. Mavis Osafo Adu and Mrs. Joanna Omaboe, both Assistant Registrars of the Public Affairs Directorate; Mr. Richmond Obeng, Hospital Accountant; Mrs. Gifty Adu-Bah, Deputy CNO In-Charge, University Health Services; Mrs. Afua Nkrumah Acquah, Dental Nurse-In-Charge, University Health Services; Mr. Ignatius Addision Offei, Head of Records, University Health Services; Mr. Charles Amevedzi, Welfare Chairman, University Health Services; Mr. Ibrahim Kassim, Head of Housekeeping, University Health Services;  Doctors, Nurses and staff of the Dental Unit and the University of Ghana.