Poor road network and electricity have delayed the commissioning of the 250-bed Sawua Regional Hospital.
Although the hospital is completed and ready to be operationalized, government’s part in getting the road leading to the facility fixed is yet to be constructed.
The 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital was constructed by Messrs Euroget De-Invest.
The hospital is expected to serve as a regional hospital for Ashanti region and ease pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Facilities at the hospital include 10 theatres, Intensive Care Unit, delivery suites, specialist clinics among others.
The hospital also has a medical gas plant for the production of medical gases.
Although the Hospital is fully completed and furnished with the equipment and machines, the hospital is yet to be commisioned and operationalized due to the poor road leading to the Hospital and connecting the facility to the national grid.
Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang Manu on a day’s visit to the hospital said his Ministry is mounting the needed pressure on the Ministries of Roads and Energy to construct the 1.2km road and also connect the hospital to the national grid’
“we are waiting for a few things, we call them clients obligations. The client which is government should construct road to access the facility from the major road to the hospital, we are working hard to how best to get these done,” Kwaku Agyemang Manu explained.
Another hinderance to the commissioning of the hospital is electricity to power the sophisticated machines and equipment.
On that the Health Minister stated that ‘we are talking to the Energy Minister, we are looking for some extra money to be able to do that, I believe it wont take long, here is virtually completed with all the machines. We are only waiting for constant and continuous power so we can run the machines. I have to continue putting pressure on the Energy Minister.”
The Ministry is also constructing the Sawua Infectious Disease Centre as part of the country’s preparedness for future pandemics.
Project Manager for the 40-bed Infectious Disease Centre Sbens Sekum said work was about 95 percent complete and left with installing beds. He was optimistic by end of August the Centre would be fully completed.
Inspecting works on the Infectious Disease Centre, the Health Minister said the facility was being financed with funds donated by the World Bank in the peak of the COVID-19.
Kwaku Agyemang Manu debunked claims the COVID-19 donation from World Bank was misapplied.
“That is the outcome of COVID-19 and one of the good things COVID-19 has brought to us to help our emergency preparedness for future pandemics”
“When people are talking about Covid expenditure, this is one of Covid expenditures and we have 12 of this in the country,” he disclosed.
He said “Ghanaians should be amazed with whatever monies they claim Nana Addo has borrowed and has nothing to show for it.”
The Minister and his entourage also inspected progress of works on 120-bed Kumawu District Hospital.
The Hospital was scheduled to be completed in 2017 but work stalled for a Value for money audit.
Works commenced in March this year and according to contractors NMS Infrastructure Ltd work will be completed by February 2023.
By Beatrice Spio-Garbrah