A teaching hospital is a hospital that is affiliated to a medical school or university and provides medical education and training to future medical professionals.
Teaching hospitals are also where medical students carry out internships and medical research that will help them perfect the profession.
Some years ago, Ghana lacked an adequate number of teaching hospitals that will properly equip future medical personnel with the right tools and research. Today, that has changed. In a move to improve the level of medical education offered to health professionals, the Ghana government renamed several regional hospitals to teaching hospitals.
These hospitals are well-equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and academic professionals to help direct healthcare professionals in training through the right path.
List of Teaching Hospitals in Ghana
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was established in 1923 as a General Hospital to address the health needs of the general public. At its inception, the hospital had just 200 beds which were not enough to manage the growing population.
Through several improvements and upgrades, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital now has a capacity of 2,000 beds and several state of the art medical equipment, making it one the largest hospitals in Africa and the leading hospital in Ghana.
Korle-Bu gained its teaching hospital status in 1962, after the establishment of the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) which is tasked with the training of medical doctors. The UGMS and other five constituent schools under the College of Health Sciences undertake their clinical training and research in the hospital.
The Hospital provides clinical and diagnostic services in the following departments.
- Accident Centre
- Anaesthesia Department
- Child Health Sub-BMC
- Central Laboratory Services
- Department of Child Health
- Department of Surgery
- Dietherapy Department
- Medical Sub-BMC
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department
- Eye Centre
- Pharmacy Department
- Physiotherapy Department
It also provides the specialization and scientific investigative procedures in the following fields.
- Neurosurgery
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Paediatric Surgery Dentistry
- Ophthalmology
- Ear Nose Throat (ENT)
- Renal
- Orthopaedics
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Radiotherapy
- Radio diagnosis
- Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns
In order to improve the health system in Ghana and the medical training of health professionals, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is tasked with the following duties and objectives.
- To improve the quality of medical care
- To enhance clients/patients satisfaction in a cost-effective manner
- To significantly improve KBTH’s contribution to the MoH’s effort at cost-effective quality healthcare delivery, research, training, and advocacy
- To enhance the technical and managerial skills, competencies, knowledge, and capabilities of all staff
- To provide the right motivation that will boost staff morale, commitment, and satisfaction
- To increase the hospital’s ability to attract, employ, and retain adequate and competent staff
- To make the right use of the unique skills and capabilities of the Medical and other allied health personnel
- To build a positive, beneficial relationship with external collaborators, NGOs, donors, other organizations, and individuals
- To build a mutually beneficial relationship with the general public and immediate community.
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
With a capacity of 1,200 beds, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital ranks as the second-largest hospital in Ghana. The hospital was established in 1954, as the Kumasi Central Hospital and it was the only tertiary health institution in the Ashanti Region at the time.
The hospital was the main referral hospital for the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, and the Northern regions of Ghana until the upgrade of the Tamale Regional Hospital to a teaching hospital.
The name “Kumasi Central Hospital” was later changed to Komfo Anokye Hospital in honor of the legendary fetish priest of the Ashanti. Through affiliation to the medical school of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1975, Komfo Anokye Hospital was converted to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is also accredited for postgraduate studies by the West African College of Surgeons in otorhinolaryngology, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology and radiology, and surgery.
The hospital has the following clinical and non-clinical directorates
Clinical directorates
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- Child Health
- Oral health
- Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat (EENT)
- Diagnostics
- Medicine
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Family Medicine
- Surgery
- Accident and Emergency department
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
Non-clinical directorates
- Domestic Services
- Security
- Supply Chain Management
- Technical Services
- Tamale Teaching Hospital
The Tamale Teaching Hospital was established to handle referrals from the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions of Ghana. The hospital is affiliated to the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Northern Ghana to offer medical programs in medicine, nursing, and nutrition to undergraduate and graduate trainees.
Currently, Tamale Teaching Hospital is equipped with 400 beds and ultra-modern medical facilities that allow it to administer its medical services properly and to educate health professionals about the right medical practices.
The hospital offers the following medical services to the general public.
- OPD – General Out-Patient and Specialist Out-Patient Services
- Child Health
- Surgical Services
- Anaesthesia; Accidents & Emergency; ICU
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Laboratory
- Imaging
- Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Public Health
- ART/HIV/TB
- Physiotherapy
- Support Services I
- Support Services II
- Mental Health and Psychotherapy
- Chaplaincy Service
- Mortuary
Cape Coast Teaching Hospital
The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital is a teaching hospital that provides medical training to medical students from the School of Medical Sciences in the University Cape Coast.
It was initially established as the Central Regional Hospital to handle referrals in the Cape Coast until it was upgraded in 2013. Currently, it boasts of a 400-bed capacity, ultra-modern medical facilities and offers training to medical professionals as well as nurses through its training colleges.
The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital also offers the following services.
- General Clinic Care Services
- Specialized Clinic Care Services
- Public Health Services
- Rehabilitation Services
- Surgical Services
- Dental & Maxillofacial Clinic
- Eye Clinic
- Ear, Nose and Throat clinic
- Obs & Gynae Emergencies Care
- Antenatal Clinic
- Post-natal Clinic
- Gynaecology Clinic
- Paediatric Services
- X-Ray Services
- Ultrasound Services
- Laboratory Services
- Mortuary Services
- Pharmaceutical Services
