President Mahama in a handshake with a member of the Christian Council
President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that the government requires $1.7 billion to complete the unfinished Agenda 111 hospital projects started by the Akufo-Addo administration.
On August 17, 2021, former President Akufo-Addo launched the Agenda 111 project, which covers the construction of 101 district hospitals in areas lacking such facilities, two psychiatric hospitals, seven regional hospitals, and the rehabilitation of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
The project, also known as the Ghana Health Infrastructure Project, was meant to address gaps in healthcare infrastructure across the country.
Addressing some members from the Christian Council during a meeting in Accra, President Mahama lamented that despite the ambitious plan, about 90 of the hospitals remain uncompleted.
According to him, even those that were officially commissioned are lacking essential amenities, such as beds.
“The previous government started Agenda 111 but has not been able to finish the hospitals. There are so many of them unfinished. Even the ones they commissioned don’t have a single bed. Now we need $1.7 billion to complete the Agenda 111 projects,” he stressed.
The President proposed that religious bodies collaborate with the government to help expedite the completion of the delayed projects.
He emphasised that the government was not seeking to compete with mission hospitals already established in various communities.
Instead, President Mahama suggested that the government could channel resources into improving these existing mission hospitals to enhance service delivery.
“If the missions have a hospital in an area, we are not coming to compete with the missions by building a hospital. We will use the resources to improve the mission hospitals so that they can provide the service,” President Mahama said.
“So I am also proposing that if some of the missions are interested, they could finish some of the hospitals and manage them,” he added.
He also extended an invitation to religious organisations interested in completing or managing some of the unfinished hospitals, assuring them that their involvement would help meet the healthcare needs of Ghanaians.
President Mahama assured the public that all of the Agenda 111 projects would eventually be completed to meet the healthcare needs of the citizens.
By Ernest Kofi Adu