Members of Parliament on the Minority side of Parliament’s Health Committee have begun a tour of abandoned government health facilities in the Ashanti Region, raising concerns over the impact of stalled projects on healthcare delivery.
The delegation, led by the Member of Parliament for Afigya Sekyere East, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, and the MP for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, visited the abandoned Afari Military Hospital project on Tuesday as part of efforts to assess key health infrastructure projects.
According to the Minority MPs, the tour was prompted by recent developments at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), where medical personnel went on strike over congestion and limited capacity at the facility.
Speaking at the Afari Military Hospital site, Dr. Ayew Afriyie called on President John Dramani Mahama to honour his commitment to complete inherited projects across the country.
“We are here as Minority members to remind President John Dramani Mahama to honour his promise to Ghanaians. He promised to complete all projects he inherited, and the Afari Military Hospital is one of the critical healthcare projects that will significantly improve healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region,” he said.
He added that the facility’s completion would help ease the burden on KATH and other regional health institutions.
“The challenges at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are largely due to pressure on the facility. If the Afari Military Hospital had been completed and operational, some of these challenges could have been avoided,” Dr. Ayew Afriyie noted.
The MPs expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the project, with parts of the site now overgrown with weeds due to years of inactivity.
When asked why the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration did not complete the project, Dr. Ayew Afriyie acknowledged the delay but noted that substantial payments had been made to the contractor.
“That is one of the reasons we are now in opposition. However, we paid about GH¢2 billion to the contractor, representing a significant contribution toward the completion of the project,” he explained.
Dr. Kingsley Agyemang questioned the government’s decision to initiate new hospital projects elsewhere while several Ashanti Region health facilities remain incomplete, despite being at advanced stages. He cited ongoing projects in Damongo, the Sefwi area, and the Volta Region, urging that priority be given to near-complete facilities.
“Our plea to the President is to complete these projects in the Ashanti Region to improve healthcare delivery and prevent future disruptions in health services,” Dr. Agyemang said.
The visit was briefly interrupted when military personnel stationed at the Afari Military Hospital site asked the delegation to leave the premises.
The Minority Health Committee is expected to continue its assessment tour with a visit to the Sewua Regional Hospital project to evaluate its current state and progress.
