Unnecessary investigations cause of my uncompleted health facilities – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has blamed the non-completion of many health facilities in the country on unnecessary investigations, unnecessary due diligence and unnecessary value-for-money audits by the current administration, insisting funds were secured for the projects and the non-completion of the projects cannot be blamed on the lack of funds.

Speaking last week on healthcare and infrastructure, the former President added if funding ever became a challenge, then it would be because of the delay in executing the projects which led to inflation shooting up the cost.

“These were facilities that were designed based on funding agreements. And so they were costed and based on the costing, the funds were raised. Most of these were based on external loans that were contracted, and had been approved by Parliament and actually work had begun. And so actually there must be no reason why the funds were not available for completion of these projects…I think that in most cases, it was unnecessary investigation of the projects and unnecessary and prolonged due diligence and value-for-money audits on the projects that have delayed these projects,” he pointed out in answer to a question on the availability of funds to complete the projects.

He then added that: “if funds became short, then it would mean that because of the delay in executing the projects, inflation would have affected the original cost that we had anticipated to complete these projects.”

The President touted the massive investment of his erstwhile government in healthcare and healthcare infrastructure that have become pivotal as the country battles the novel coronavirus pandemic.

But some of these health facilities remain uncompleted. And there have been protests calling for the completion of the projects.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promise to build some 88 district hospitals and 6 regional hospitals has been received with mixed reactions, with many calling for the completion of the uncompleted projects first.

But government spokespersons have insisted that government has not abandoned any of the projects, but is working to complete all of them and put them to use.