The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has raised concerns over delays in completing major health facilities in the Ashanti Region, attributing the ongoing congestion and pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to such setbacks.
The association pointed to the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital and the 250-bed Sewua Hospital as projects that, it said once completed, would alleviate congestion at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, which currently serves as a referral facility for 12 regions.
The GMA criticised the government for prioritising the construction of Agenda 111 hospitals while the referral hospital struggles, despite fundraising initiatives by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to renovate the facility.
Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, Ashanti Regional President of the Ghana Medical Association, stated that resources allocated to the Agenda 111 hospital projects could have been used to retool the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
He made these observations during a meeting between the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia, and other professional bodies as part of Dr. Bawumia’s tour of the Ashanti Region.
The GMA’s Ashanti Regional President suggested to Dr. Bawumia that “out of the 50 Agenda 111 hospital projects, why don’t we build 40 hospitals and dedicate the resources meant for the other 10 to retool Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to clear up the mess at the hospital [to make it efficient]?”
In response, Dr. Bawumia acknowledged the congestion issue at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and assured that the Afari and Sewua hospitals would be completed soon.
“With the overcrowding that we are seeing at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, I agree with the suggestion to dedicate resources to retooling the hospital.
“And with particular reference to the two hospitals that are almost done, Sewua which is a regional hospital, and Afari which is a military hospital, we expect Sewua to be commissioned hopefully by July [2024] and commission Afari in August [2024] as well.”
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