The Kumasi Traditional Council will conduct inspections of the delayed Afari Military Hospital and Sewua Hospital next week, amid mounting concern over prolonged completion timelines and worsening congestion at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The decision followed a briefing by Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene at the Manhyia Palace on Thursday, 11 June, where he updated the Council on healthcare infrastructure projects in the region. The visit, initially slated for 12 June, was rescheduled at the minister’s request to allow contractors and consultants to present progress reports to traditional leaders.
The meeting, chaired by Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, Nkwantakesehene, acting on behalf of the Asantehene, centered on concerns that both hospitals remain non-operational despite rising demand for healthcare services in Kumasi. Dr. Amoakohene assured the Council that work at Sewua Hospital is advancing, with efforts underway to secure electricity, water supply, and road access to the facility.
He said a contractor had been engaged to construct roads leading to the hospital and was expected to return to the site next week. The minister, however, said progress on the Afari Military Hospital remained uncertain due to procurement-related challenges and pending administrative processes.
He added that the government had completed and commissioned 15 primary hospitals in the Ashanti Region and expected 48 more currently under construction to be completed by the end of the year. Amoakohene also confirmed that renovation works under the Heal Komfo Anokye project had been suspended temporarily to maintain adequate patient capacity while authorities work to operationalise the Afari and Sewua hospitals.
Source: Jonathan Ofori
