Four patients have become the first to receive life-saving cardiac procedures at the newly commissioned Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab) at the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, marking the start of clinical operations just days after President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated the facility.
The National Cardiothoracic Centre said the procedures were performed on Tuesday in collaboration with specialists from Mount Carmel Hospital in Ohio, United States.
The medical team successfully implanted a dual-chamber pacemaker, carried out conduction system pacing, inserted an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and implanted a cardiac resynchronisation therapy device in four patients.
The centre described the milestone as the first treatments delivered at the new state-of-the-art laboratory and thanked President Mahama, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and other stakeholders whose support made the installation and commissioning of the facility possible.
President Mahama commissioned the laboratory last week, describing it as a major step towards expanding access to specialised cardiovascular care in Ghana.
The facility, funded through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, replaces the previous catheterisation laboratory that was destroyed by fire in March 2025.
It is equipped with advanced technology to diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, structural heart disease and peripheral vascular diseases.
At the commissioning ceremony, Mahama said the government had allocated GHC2.3 billion to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to support specialised healthcare, infrastructure development and the training of health professionals.
He announced that similar cardiology centres would be established at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and the Tamale Teaching Hospital to improve access to specialised heart care in northern and middle Ghana. Additional facilities are also planned for Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Takoradi and Ho Teaching Hospital.
The President also announced the creation of the Ghana Medical Equipment Services Limited to oversee the maintenance and replacement of specialised medical equipment, saying the move was intended to prevent a repeat of past failures caused by poor maintenance.
He said the success of the new cath lab would ultimately be measured by the lives it saves and the hope it restores to patients requiring advanced cardiovascular treatment.
