Korle-Bu CEO denies reports of cancer machine failure

Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, CEO of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), has firmly refuted claims suggesting that the hospital’s only cancer treatment machine recently failed, leaving patients without care.

Dr. Ampomah clarified that the hospital actually has several cancer treatment machines, not just one, and only one of them experienced a brief malfunction.

Speaking with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Dr. Ampomah addressed the issue, describing the reports as a “misrepresentation,” and stressed that KBTH has multiple machines available for patient use.

He explained that although the machine that broke down is the most advanced and user-friendly, it was promptly repaired within a few days. Dr. Ampomah reassured the public that patient care was not significantly impacted, despite claims that patients were turned away on Thursday, July 4, 2024, as oncologists worked to fix the equipment.

“That one is also a misrepresentation. We have a number of machines there. It’s like you have a Rolls Royce and a Toyota; you are using both. The Rolls Royce is used when you want to go and flex, so the Toyota is reliable, it always works. So, Toyota has been working, and there’s no issue with the Toyota.

“It’s not like you don’t have a car, so, that is what it was. So, the Rolls Royce broke down, that is the one that is more modern and kind of easier to handle and things like that [the machine]. But then it was fixed within a few days. But the story created the impression that is the only machine, this is the most advanced machine,” he elaborated.

While acknowledging that a machine breakdown can cause disruptions, he emphasized that this does not mean patients miss their scheduled treatments.

“What it does is that you have longer queues, but it doesn’t mean that patients are denied treatments. Tell me which organization has not had a machine breakdown before. The radiotherapy machines are two. Because these machines are very expensive, they cost between $5 million to $10 million or probably more,” he stated.

Source:dailymailgh.com