A Maltese hospital in Ghana has delivered over 400 babies, performed over 600 surgeries and is training over 400 students in its medical school this year alone, figures provided by the hospital show.
The HopeXchange Medical Centre, a significant Maltese-backed healthcare initiative in Kumasi, Ghana, was the brainchild of a group of Maltese missionaries.
Figures show that last year the hospital recorded a total of 985 surgical procedures, which included 163 minor and 822 major operations. This year, till June, it had performed an additional 599 surgeries (91 minor and 508 major).
The hospital was built mainly through donations by Maltese people.The figures are significant since the hospital was built mainly with donations by Maltese people in an area that was previously deserted, where people lived in squalor and thousands died of preventable illnesses shortly after birth or at a young age.
Now, the hospital not only saves most people who would have otherwise died young, but is also educating hundreds of them at its in-house medical school to become doctors and nurses for the service of their community.
Educating future doctors, nurses
Last year, the hospital delivered 687 babies and in the first six months of this year, it delivered another 406.
A hospital spokesperson told Times of Malta they wanted to release these figures as tangible proof of the life-changing work made possible by Maltese people’s generous contributions and ongoing support.
Beyond direct patient care, the hospital is also training future doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals through educational programmes.
The Maltese flag flies alongside the Ghanian flag at the hospital’s entrance.The medical school at HopeXchange currently hosts 430 students, supported by a faculty of 16 teachers operating across 12 classrooms. This educational arm, bolstered by an agreement with the School of Medical Sciences at KNUST, is instrumental in training future medical professionals for Ghana.
The hospital opened in 2018, starting from humble beginnings, but since then steadily expanded its services and capabilities, now boasting modern departments, advanced technology, and a reputation as one of the most important medical centres in the region, serving thousands of patients annually.
Between January 2024 and June this year, the hospital registered over 100,000 out-patient visits and 12,000 in-patient admissions.
A mother who had just given birth to twins at the hospital.Furthermore, the hospital has community outreach programmes to screen people in the community. The centre conducted outreaches to a combined total of 44 places, reaching over 10,000 people from January 2024 to June this year.
Specialised screenings for breast and cervical health were also conducted in the same 44 places, screening over 7,000 people during the same period.
The hospital was founded by Maltese philanthropists led by Mario and Anna Cappello who, while carrying out lay missionary work in Kumasi, the second-largest city of Ghana, were surprised by people’s material needs, in particular lack of hygiene and healthcare.
Today, the hospital is distinguished by its modern facilities. Its operations are also supported by the Ghanaian government and various international organisations.