‘We can beat the deadline’ – Akandoh pushes La General Hospital contractors

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has urged contractors working on the €50 million La General Hospital project to accelerate construction, warning that the pace of work must match the January 2028 commissioning deadline.

During an inspection of the project, the Minister acknowledged the progress made so far but insisted that more needed to be done to ensure the hospital is completed on schedule and ready to serve the large population expected to depend on it.



“We can speed up so that we can beat the deadline,” he said, challenging the contractors to step up their efforts given the importance of the facility to healthcare delivery.

Mr Akandoh also dismissed payment delays as a justification for any slow pace of work, insisting that the government had been making payments to contractors on time.

According to him, the latest interim payment certificate for the project has been submitted and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for the necessary processes.

Beyond construction, the Minister called for a review of the proposed capacity of the hospital’s emergency department to ensure it can adequately respond to demand and help address persistent challenges with the availability of emergency beds.

The review, he suggested, should ensure that the facility’s emergency care capacity matches the needs of the population it is expected to serve.

The €50 million project includes the supply and installation of medical equipment, meaning its completion will involve not only finishing the physical structure but also equipping the facility to provide healthcare services.

Mr Akandoh pledged to continue monitoring the project to ensure that construction stays on course and the hospital is completed and made operational as scheduled.

With the January 2028 deadline approaching, the Minister’s message to the contractors is clear: accelerate work, address outstanding concerns and deliver a fully equipped hospital on time.

EA