GMA welcomes Akufo-Addo’s 94 new hospitals promise

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has welcomed President Akufo-Addo’s promise to construct 88 new hospitals within one year in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

The President in a national address on government’s efforts at curbing the virus Sunday said government has taken the decision to deliver new hospitals in the 94 districts in the country without hospitals.

“There are 88 districts in our country without hospitals. We have six new regions without regional hospitals. We do not have infectious disease control centres dotted across the country and we don’t have enough testing and isolation centres for diseases like COVID-19. We must do something urgently about this."

He said: “That is why the government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure – the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing 88 hospitals in the districts without hospitals. It will mean 10 in Ashanti, nine in Volta, nine in Central, eight in Eastern, seven in Greater Accra, seven in Upper East, five in Northern, five in Oti, five in Upper West, five in Bono, four in Western North, four in Western, three in Ahafo, three in Savannah, two in Bono East and two in North-Easter regions.”

Speaking to Morning Starr, deputy general secretary of the GMA, Dr. Titus Beyuo said the association will expect that the necessary measures are put in place to ensure that the required human resource is ready by the time the hospitals will be completed.

“If you’re thinking of universal health coverage then definitely if we get district hospitals everywhere it is welcome news. Because the current distribution of health care is very inequitable. The only thing is that once it’s a policy direction we will be taking some suggestions as well to government. We expect a clear policy direction on how to get trained people for those facilities,” he said.