According to President John Dramani Mahama, the former NPP government spent almost $400 million on the Agenda 111 hospital project, but not a single facility is yet completely functional.
On February 27, he gave his first State of the Nation Address to Parliament during his second term.
The ambitious healthcare effort was started to close the gap in the nation’s healthcare infrastructure, and President Mahama was not pleased with the lack of progress.
President Mahama stated, “It is important to note that USD 400 million has already been distributed under the Agenda 111 project.” “However, under this enormous endeavor, not a single hospital is providing care for Ghanaians.”
In order to improve healthcare delivery and accessibility, Agenda 111 called for the construction of 111 hospitals around the country. President Mahama’s comments, however, suggest that none of the hospitals have been finished and put into service in spite of the large cash pledges.
According to the President, if resources had been used effectively, the money already spent may have made it possible to complete and operationalize at least 22 of the projected hospitals.
For the record, Mr. Speaker, as of right now, there isn’t a single Agenda 111 hospital open anywhere in Ghana. At a rate of about $18 million per hospital, at least 22 hospitals for Ghanaians might have been finished with the $400 million spent by the US. Now, GHS 22 billion will be needed to finish the projects,” he stated.
Discussions over accountability and the effectiveness of public spending on significant infrastructure projects have been triggered by his statement.
In order to determine how the monies were distributed and whether poor management was a factor in the delays, many Ghanaians are now demanding a comprehensive audit.
The government is supposed to give further details on the project’s progress and the steps being taken to guarantee the hospitals are finished on schedule.
“I have assigned the Health Minister to provide a roadmap for the future of this program,” stated President Mahama. In addition, we are amenable to franchising and public-private partnerships in order to finish and operationalize these hospitals.
