President John Dramani Mahama has criticized the status of the Agenda 111 hospital projects, noting that not a single facility that was part of this “knee-jerk” response to the COVID-19 pandemic is operational, despite significant financial investment. In his first State of the Nation Address during his second term on Thursday, February 27, he expressed disappointment that the initiative, aimed at enhancing healthcare infrastructure, has not resulted in any functional facilities.
He revealed that over $400 million has already been spent on the projects, yet there is little to show for it. “If this amount had been used appropriately, it would have completed and made operational about 22 of these hospitals,” he stated. President Mahama stressed that this inefficiency has left many communities still struggling with inadequate healthcare access.
Acknowledging the importance of the initiative, he assured Ghanaians that his government is open to adopting a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach to ensure the completion and operationalisation of the hospitals. He noted that the healthcare needs of the country cannot be ignored, and urgent measures are required to deliver these critical facilities.
The Agenda 111 initiative, introduced under former President Akufo-Addo during the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to construct 111 district and regional hospitals, including psychiatric facilities, to bridge gaps in Ghana’s healthcare system. However, with no completed projects in operation, President Mahama pledged to take decisive action to ensure that these much-needed hospitals serve the people as originally intended.
By: Ernest K. Arhinful
