Ghana's Health Committee Chair Pushes Urgent Cath Lab Expansion to Combat Heart Deaths

Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, the Chairman of Ghana Parliament's Select Committee on Health, is making an urgent plea for the rapid expansion of cardiac catheterisation laboratories (cath lab) across the country. His call comes as Ghana grapples with a significant number of preventable deaths due to limited access to these critical facilities, highlighting a pressing national health crisis where delays in advanced cardiac care prove fatal for many citizens. The committee's recent engagements emphasize that while significant strides have been made in primary healthcare, specialized cardiac interventions remain a major bottleneck. Ghana faces a growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with cardiovascular diseases being a leading cause of mortality, accounting for 19% of NCD deaths. The country's primary cardiac facility at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital recently saw its cath lab destroyed by fire in March 2025, but was thankfully reconstructed and recommissioned in July 2026 with enhanced capabilities through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund. Adding to this, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), which has operated for over 70 years without a cath lab, is now slated to complete its own facility by August 2026, driven by a renewed focus following the tragic death of an emergency physician in 2025. These developments indicate a critical, ongoing national effort to bolster specialized cardiac infrastructure. The push for expanded cath lab access is a vital step towards Ghana goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, ensuring that all citizens have timely access to high-quality health services. The Ministry of Health and its partners, including the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, are actively engaged in strengthening cardiovascular care nationwide, evidenced by new guidelines and equipment donations. The coming months will be crucial as the nation works to operationalize these new facilities and integrate them into a more comprehensive and accessible cardiac care system, aiming to prevent future avoidable deaths and improve health outcomes for all Ghanaians.