The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected claims that the Afari Military Hospital remains largely unfinished, insisting that the project is substantially complete and only requires limited outstanding work before it can become fully operational.
In a statement signed by Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Co-Chair of the NPP Policy Committee on Health on June 16, the NPP said official records from the Ministry of Defence’s Project Implementation Unit show that the core hospital facility was 92.5 per cent complete as of September 2024 and had reached 98 per cent completion by January 2025.
The statement follows recent public comments, including remarks attributed to senior members of the party, regarding the status of the 500-bed hospital project in the Ashanti Region.
According to the NPP, suggestions that the hospital is only about 60 per cent complete are inaccurate.
“The Afari Military Hospital is a 500-bed facility, and it is not at a partial stage of construction,” the statement said.
The party explained that as of September 2024, civil works on the core hospital stood at 97.5% completion, architectural works at 87%, staff housing at 77%, roads at 80% and landscaping at 77%.
It argued that what remains is the completion of a relatively small portion of the project rather than a major new construction effort.
Addressing concerns over funding, the NPP also disputed claims that an additional US$85 million is needed before work can resume.
According to the party, there is no record at either the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Defence supporting such a figure.
The statement noted that the original US$180 million contract, financed through a loan arrangement, has been fully paid. It further stated that an additional US$19.3 million paid by the Government of Ghana to cover relocation-related delays has also been settled in full.
The NPP added that a separate claim, originally exceeding US$6.5 million and later negotiated down to US$3 million, has largely been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of US$500,000.
Providing a historical account of the project, the party said construction began at Sotoline in Kumasi in 2008 before being relocated to Afari. Physical construction commenced in 2014 and stood at approximately 40% completion by December 2016.
According to the statement, between 2017 and January 2025, progress advanced from about 40 per cent to 98%, indicating that the majority of work was undertaken during that period.
The NPP said it supports the completion and operationalisation of the hospital and urged the government to settle the remaining obligations and bring the facility into service.
“The outstanding US$500,000 should be settled, the remaining works completed, and any new figure presented for payment supported by verifiable records before public funds are committed,” the party stated.
The statement also cautioned senior party members to ensure that public comments on the project reflect the party’s documented position and are based on verifiable facts.
Source: adomonline.com
