President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that no hospital under the Agenda 111 initiative is operational, casting doubt on the progress of the healthcare project.
During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), Mahama criticized the previous government for the project’s delays despite substantial financial disbursements.
“I can report, Mr. Speaker, that no hospital under the Agenda 111 project is operational,” Mahama said, highlighting the slow pace of the program and the lack of tangible outcomes.
He further pointed out that a significant amount of funds had been allocated for the project, with $400 million already spent.
“At an approximate cost of $18 million per hospital, this $400 million could have completed and operationalized at least 22 hospitals,” Mahama claimed.
He questioned why the government had not focused on completing a few hospitals instead of spreading resources thinly across the entire initiative.
The president also called for a reevaluation of the Agenda 111 strategy and directed the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to come up with a plan for moving the initiative forward.
He suggested that public-private partnerships could be explored to accelerate the completion of these hospitals.
Background
Launched during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Agenda 111 was envisioned to address critical gaps in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure.
The project promised to build 111 district and regional hospitals, including specialized psychiatric facilities, aimed primarily at underserved rural and remote areas. However, delays in construction and funding have plagued the project, stalling progress and leaving many communities without the promised healthcare facilities.
By: Jeremiah Nutsugah
