Minority members on Parliament’s Health Committee have criticised the John Mahama-led administration over what they describe as the failure to operationalise the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital, warning that the continued delay is undermining efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region.
Led by the Ranking Member of the Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, the Minority MPs visited the facility on Wednesday, June 10, as part of a nationwide campaign aimed at highlighting abandoned health infrastructure projects and advocating for their completion.
The visit comes amid growing pressure on health facilities in the Ashanti Region, particularly the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), which recently experienced disruptions following a strike by doctors and nurses. The industrial action was later suspended on Tuesday, June 9, after the suspension of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, who had earlier announced a temporary halt to emergency admissions.
During the inspection, the lawmakers expressed concern about the deteriorating state of the Afari Military Hospital, noting that sections of the facility have become overgrown with weeds while some structures are beginning to show signs of deterioration, despite the significant investment made in the project.
According to the MPs, the prolonged delay in completing and opening the hospital is difficult to justify at a time when major health facilities in the region are struggling to cope with rising patient numbers.
Addressing the media, Dr. Ayew Afriyie questioned the government’s spending priorities, arguing that the resources required to complete the Afari Military Hospital are relatively modest compared to other ongoing flagship projects.
“The entire Agenda 111 hospital project will require only about GH¢17 billion, which is roughly $1.5 billion. If the government wants to complete it, it can do so,” he stated.
He further explained that the Afari Military Hospital would require about GH¢200 million to be fully completed and commissioned, insisting that a fraction of that amount could immediately accelerate work on the project.
“You are spending billions on the Big Push programme, yet you cannot make available just about GH¢50 million for the contractor to complete this project and then pay the balance over the next four years. I believe the contractor would agree to that arrangement,” he said.
Dr. Ayew Afriyie stressed that the Minority’s advocacy should not be interpreted through a partisan lens, insisting that the call for completion of abandoned health projects reflects the needs of ordinary citizens.
“Please, we are using this platform to appeal to the government. This is not about politics. We are simply doing our job. The reality is that people want these abandoned hospitals to be completed and opened for use,” he added.
The Minority MPs have therefore called on government to urgently release funds to complete and operationalise the facility, arguing that its completion would ease pressure on existing health institutions and improve access to quality healthcare across the region.
Source: citinewsroom.com
