Government abandons Bekwai Hospital, weeds takeover

The people of Bekwai in the Ashanti Region will have to wait for a long time to see and attend a government hospital in their town, as the Akufo-Addo government has abandoned the health facility which was almost completed at the exit of the John Mahama government which initiated it.

The impressive project has been taken over by weeds, reptiles, insects, rodents and other creatures, as with the situation of lots of infrastructural projects such as schools, clinics, roads, housing, water projects and so on, which have stalled following the exit of the John Mahama administration.

Most of these state-funded projects are now subjects of social media lamentations. There are posted by concerned citizens, who are worried at the heavy investments going waste, while those they are to serve are left to suffer.

The 190-bed capacity Bekwai Municipal Hospital, abandoned by the Akufo-Addo government, is one of three hospital projects started in the Ashanti Region by the then governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The two others are at Afari, near Nkawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya District, which is a 500-bed military hospital and 250-bed regional hospital at Sawua in the Bosomtwe District.

On completion, the 190-bed capacity facility, is expected to ease the pressure on the old Bekwai District Hospital and enhance healthcare delivery in and around the Bekwai Municipality, but these will not happen soon.

Construction work began in March 2014 and was expected to be completed by September 2017.

This paper’s sources say though the main work on the facility has been completed, government says it has no funds to purchase medical equipment to start operation leaving the facility become a breeding-ground for moths, snakes, rats, grasscutters among others, while residents in and around Bekwai, struggle to get better healthcare.

It was initially part of a two-district hospital project under ADB HSRP III, commenced in September 2010.

Interestingly, the hospital is in the Constituency of the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament’s, Joseph Osei Owusu, who is part of the leadership of Parliament,scheming to have a second chamber built for the August House at the cost of US$200 million.

This is not the first time the issue of abandoned projects is being raised. It will be recalled that the University of Ghana Medical Hospital built under the previous government, was left unused, following disagreement between the University and Akufo-Addo government over who to manage it.

There is also a Bank of Ghana hospital at Cantonments in Accra and the Maritime Hospital in Tema by the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA).

Other facilities in the Greater Accra Region are, the Ofankor Polyclinic, Anyaa Health Centre, Accidents and Emergency Centre at the Amasaman Hospital.

Kasoa Polyclinic in the Central Region, while a five staff houses at Sawla, the capital of Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of the Northern Region.

In the Upper East Region, one of the six district hospitals started by the John Mahama government to eliminate disparities in healthcare delivery in that part of the country, has also been abandoned at the Garu Tempane district.

The rest are health centres at Jentilpe, Grupe and Nasoyiri all in the Sawla Tuna Kalba district in the northern region and health centres at Kabampe and Laribanga in the West Gonja district, also in the northern region.

All of these facilities require some work to be done to make them fully functional.

Documents at the Ministry of Health puts the total amount needed at GH¢28 million.