Akufo-Addo’s 88 hospitals promise was a vision – Agyeman-Manu

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The Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has revealed that a promise by President Nana Akufo-Addo to construct over 88 new hospitals between April and December last year was a just a vision.

Answering questions during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Mr Agyeman-Manu said the president’s vision should have translated into action but unfortunately work on the construction of the hospitals have slowed due to some bottlenecks.

“That was the President’s vision which was supposed to have been translated into action. He set up a committee at the presidency led by the Chief of Staff. I was a member. We pulled one or two infrastructure from our ministry. There was a representation from the Ghana Health Service too.

“What they asked us to do immediately was to write to all the district directors for health services to allocate land and give us the site plans of where they want these district hospitals to be sited. As I speak we still have close to about 13 districts that have not completed this exercise,” Mr Agyeman-Manu told the appointments committee.

President Akufo-Addo in April last year promised to build more than 90 new hospitals as the coronavirus highlighted the country’s medical inequalities. Many questioned his ability to deliver on the pledge.

Speaking in a televised address, Mr Akufo-Addo said the new medical facilities are planned for 88 districts in Ghana that are currently without a hospital, as well as an additional six regional hospitals.

“Each of them will be a quality, standard design 100-bed hospital with accommodation for doctors, nurses, and other health workers,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM