53 uncompleted health facilities resurface after govt denied abandoning Mahama projects

Since the announcement by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to construct 94 districts and regional hospitals, about 53 abandoned, uncompleted health projects have surfaced in public discussions.

The projects - mostly started during the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, have been left unattended to by the Akufo-Addo administration, says the Coalition of NGOs in Health.

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Dr Gabriel Bernaku, the chairman of the Coalition told Joy FM that the latest figure forms part of their data collected by their various regional representatives as of April 29, 2020.

“My regional representatives are able to give me at least 53 health facilities either completed and not commissioned or abandoned halfway,” he stated.

Dr. Bernaku stated: “Many of these projects are normally between 60% [and] 100% complete and these are from 2017 to date.”

He added: “We are mindful of two critical issues: …we have to continue and upgrade what has existed to allow communities to use them and then we add on,” he said.

The Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs in Health suggested that President Akufo-Addo should redirect his attention to the uncompleted projects while effective plans are rolled out regarding the president's current decision to build new district and regional hospitals.

“The Coalition of NGOs in Health is not against government adding the 88 health facilities to the existing ones. We have been very clear from day-one since 2017 that government should add, as stipulated in their manifesto, so if they want to do more, so be it,” Dr Bernaku stressed.

These latest revelations about abandoned health projects, also contradict the position by the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, when he told the press on Tuesday that the Akufo-Addo-led administration has “taken time and resources to complete” projects bequeathed to them.

Watch the Health Minister speaking at the Press Conference