By The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has observed that some Agenda 111 hospital projects are still under construction. These projects were inaugurated by the erstwhile government. He emphasised that none of the 111 facilities is completed at the moment.
He said that upon inspection, it was clear construction was still ongoing. Hence, the hospitals were not yet operational. They had been inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo before he left office.
Mr. Akandoh conducted an inspection tour of the projects yesterday. The projects were at the Atwima Kwanwoma Municipal Hospital in Trade in the Ashanti Region. He said President John Dramani Mahama had tasked him to work out the completion of the projects.
“The President has directed me to transfer the agenda 111 hospitals from the presidency to the Ministry of Health. I am also tasked with overseeing their completion.
“Where I am standing is one of the hospitals. When it comes to hospitals, it is not just about the building alone. It is also about the necessary facilities and staff that make up a functional hospital.
“Upon our inspection, we can’t call this place a hospital because construction is still ongoing.
“I received a briefing from the same consultant employed by the earlier government,” the Health Minister said. “None of the hospitals have been completed.”
Indeed, President Mahama, last Thursday, disclosed in the State of the Nation Speech. He stated that the Akufo-Addo government had completed none of the Agenda 111 projects it started. The only project near completion is not yet operational.
The President further criticised the decision of the former government to site hospitals at places where mission hospitals existed.
He pointed out that instead of starting new construction, the Akufo-Addo administration should have collaborated with faith-based organisations. This would have improved the existing health facilities.
The President indicated that one solution to completing the projects is for faith-based organisations to take up some of them.
He said the missions could take some of the uncompleted Agenda 111 projects, finish them and manage them.
About Agenda 111
Former President Nana Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the facilities on August 17, 2021. He promised to finish the work within 18 months.
One of the rooms of the Agenda 111 project
The plan to construct the hospitals was first announced in the eighth COVID-19 national speech on April 26, 2020. The former President made this announcement months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ghana.
It was initially an “Agenda 88” initiative, but the government later revised it to “Agenda 111”. The 23 extra facilities included 13 district hospitals.
Beneficiary regions and a respective breakdown of the distribution are as follows. There are 10 in Ashanti. There are nine in Volta. There are eight in Eastern. There are seven each in Greater Accra and Upper East. There are five each in Oti, Upper West, Bono, and Western North. There are three in Savannah. There are two each in Bono East and North East.
It made provision for a regional hospital in Oti, Bono, and Bono East. It also included a hospital in Savannah, North East, and Western North. Additionally, it included two specialised hospitals in the middle and northern belts. A regional hospital was allocated to the Western Region. It also provided for renovation of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
