Barima Twereboa KoduaK
The Kumawu Traditional Council has appealed to government to complete the 120-bed capacity Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital project in the community started in February 2015 by the previous administration.
The council, led by Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua, said the continuous delay of the project is affecting the health needs of the people in and around the traditional area.
The Kumawu hospital, which is one of the six proposed district hospitals captured in the $175 million loan agreement, is said to be 80 per cent complete.
It has a theatre, a four-bed recovery unit, 24-bed surgical female/male ward, 24-bed female/male medical ward and six-bed accident and emergency ward. The hospital also has a six-bed observation/out-patient ward, maternity, 32-bed obstetrics/gynaecologist ward and 15-bed paediatric ward.
Addressing the media after a tour of the facility, Barima Twereboa Kodua reminded President Akufo-Addo of his pledge to complete all projects started by his predecessor, for which he stated “includes the Kumawu District Hospital project.”
Even though NMS Infrastructure Limited, the contractors executing the project, had indicated that the project would be completed by the end of 2015, it has now been abandoned.
The Kumawu paramount chief appealed to President Akufo-Addo to prioritise the completion of the facility to ensure that the health needs of the constituents are adequately met.
He said majority of the constituents are sympathizers of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and that the completion of the facility is also in the interest of the NPP.
Barima Tweneboa Kodua, who is also a medical doctor working at the St. Michael Catholic Hospital at Pramso in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region, argued that the completion of the hospital project would add up to the government’s development agenda for the area.
He said now that the perennial water problem of the area is almost over and the town roads awarded to a contractor, the hospital is the next for government to target.
Barima Kodua pledged to avail his service and expertise as a medical officer to the facility upon the completion of the project to help improve healthcare delivery.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi