GH¢20b needed to complete Agenda 111 projects – Minister
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, has announced that the government requires more than GH¢20 billion to complete the Agenda 111 hospital projects.
He said the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration did not secure reliable and sustainable funding for the initiative.
Briefing Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee on Thursday, Mr Akandoh explained that unlike the Eurojet project, which had dedicated financing, the Agenda 111 programme lacked a dependable funding source.
He disclosed that although GH¢4.8 billion had already been invested in the project, none of the facilities was currently operational.
The Minister said that while three Agenda 111 hospitals were commissioned by the previous government, subsequent assessments showed that civil works and the installation of medical equipment were incomplete, rendering the facilities unfit for use.
He added that the government owes contractors engaged on the projects more than GH¢1 billion.
Providing examples, Mr Akandoh said the Agenda 111 project at Bokoro in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region was 67 per cent complete, the Oforikrom-Kokoben project in the Ashanti Region stood at 73.76 per cent completion, while the Trede project was 72.89 per cent complete, yet all three had been commissioned prematurely.
In response, he said the Mahama administration had identified 35 Agenda 111 projects for completion under the first phase of the programme, with work set to begin on 10 facilities this year.
Mr Akandoh said the selection was based on regional distribution, the level of completion of each project, and the healthcare needs of the population.
He further disclosed that the government was preparing to sign agreements with the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) to enable interested churches to partner in completing some of the hospitals.
Private sector entities would also be allowed to participate through Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangements, he added.
The Minister dismissed reports in sections of the media that the government intended to abandon the Agenda 111 programme, stressing that the projects would instead be completed in phases.
The Agenda 111 initiative was launched in 2021 by the previous administration to construct 111 district and regional hospitals across the country to improve access to healthcare. However, concerns have been raised over funding gaps, stalled projects, and incomplete facilities.
The current government has pledged to restructure the programme, secure sustainable financing and prioritise the completion of selected projects to strengthen Ghana’s health infrastructure.
Source: GNA