Government needs only GH¢20 million to complete Afari Military Hospital – Dr Ayew Afriye

The Ranking Member on Parliament's Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, has revealed that the government requires only GH¢20 million to complete the Afari Military Hospital project in the Ashanti Region.

According to him, the completion of the facility has become critical following the ongoing pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), which serves patients from the Ashanti Region and several parts of the country.

The Afari Military Hospital project comprises 15 operating theatres, a 500-bed capacity, a mortuary, a medical gas production plant, an emergency and ambulance unit, as well as other modern medical facilities and equipment.

Speaking during a visit by the Minority Health Committee to the project site, Dr Ayew Afriye explained that the previous government encountered challenges during negotiations with the contractor, a process which took nearly one year to resolve before an agreement was reached on the amount needed to complete the project.

"We experienced difficulties during negotiations with the contractor when the Nana Addo administration was determined to complete the project. It took almost a year to settle the outstanding issues and reach an agreement," he stated.

Dr Ayew Afriye disclosed that the previous government was able to mobilise and pay a substantial amount which is two billion Ghana Cedis towards the completion of the project before leaving office after the 2024 general elections.

The required funding had been secured, leaving an outstanding amount of about GH¢20 thousand needed to complete the hospital and make it operational, he added

Dr Ayew Afriye describes the current state of the project as bad, which the medical equipment in the facility is gradually rusting, bush has taken major part of space and other significant equipment to the facility is damaged

This so sad to see this important health projects in this status, so many cement is caked, expensive medical equipment is damaged whilst KATH emergency is decongested, he stated

He appealed to President and the Ministry of Health to urgently release the remaining funds to enable the completion of the project.

The operationalisation of the Afari Military Hospital will significantly reduce pressure on the and improve healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region and beyond.

Completing the facility should be treated as a national priority to help address growing healthcare demands and improve access to quality medical services, he said.

The Minority Health Committee has therefore called on the government to take immediate steps to secure the necessary funds and ensure the project's completion.

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