The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has almost doubled the staff strength of its Security Unit as part of measures to further enhance the security of staff, patients and visitors at the hospital.

This followed the recruitment of 56 new security guards who have successfully undergone a one-week rigorous training at the Fourth Infantry Battalion (4BN) in Kumasi to prepare and equip them to effectively deliver on the job.

Speaking at their passing-out parade, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH, Prof. Otchere Prof. Addai-Mensah, said the new junior guards were assuming duty at the time issues of safety and discipline were very high on the agenda of management.

Prof. Addai-Mensah commended the guards for their successful completion of the training programme and noted that they have a yeoman’s role to play in ensuring the maintenance of a safe and orderly environment at the hospital without which the provision of quality clinical care could not be guaranteed.

“I am, therefore, urging all of you to be duty conscious and concentrate on your job at all given time. Whenever there is the need to report any infractions, do so promptly through your superiors to management for the necessary actions to be taken so that the safety of our staff, patients and visitors will not be compromised in anyway”, he stressed.

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Emmanuel Asibi Alhassan of the 4BN who was the officer in-charge of the training team for the new guards said he was pleasantly surprised about their performance during the intensive training which involved vigorous drilling, physical education and voice procedures among others.

“I was really amazed as to how fast they were able to pick up the basic security training we subjected them to in such a limited period of time and I need to congratulate them on the hard work, dedication and commitment shown during their one-week intensive training”, he stated.

In an interview, Captain (Rtd.) Eric Ekow Amoah, head of the Security Unit of the hospital, said the new recruitment has raised the total number of security guards at the hospital from 68 to 124, which was a remarkable improvement in the staffing situation of the unit.

He further explained that the decision of management to get the newly recruited guards to undergo training at 4BN was meant to instil discipline and effectively prepare them mentally and physically for the task ahead.

Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaw Boamah