Residents at Fomena in the Ashanti Region have commended government for resuming the construction of a hospital project which had been abandoned for years.
Work on the hospital project stalled in 2017, prompting consistent calls by residents and other interest groups for it to be completed.
Government has directed continuation of work at the site, but the youth in the area say they will mount pressure on authorities to ensure speedy completion of the project.
The project, which sits on a 35-acre land is one of the six district hospitals started under the Mahama-led administration.
The cost of the hospitals was put at 175 million dollars, but the current Government alleged some breaches in the award of the contract.
This resulted in the project being abandoned and left under the mercy of the weather.
The Fomena hospital project, which is about 80% complete, has been overtaken by weeds with installations that were done before work stalled.
The hospital when completed will enhance health delivery in communities within the Adansi North District as residents struggle to access healthcare.
Soland Construction Limited, the subcontractor for the project has been instructed by the Government through the Ministry of Health to return to the project site.
Managing Director for the Soland Construction Limited, Samuel Okai said the contractor took everything into consideration before starting the project.
“You must say some algae on walls which is not much of a defect. There are a few installations that we might say have deteriorated, but at the end of the day, the contractor has taken everything into consideration before coming to the site. We have to increase the manpower and manhour on the site in order to achieve what we want to. But we have to consider natural occurrence.”
A youth group from the area, the Adansi Youth Forum which has persistently called for the completion of the project acknowledged the government’s efforts towards completing the project.
“The construction of the project was halted in 2017. Three years down line the President has ordered the contractor back to site to complete and hand over the project in three months. We see the President’s action as courageous.”
The project includes 26 wards, two operating theatres, recovery units, an accident centre, out-patient-department, maternity wards and accommodation for prospective staff.
Other facilities include laboratory, a mortuary, an Intensive Care Unit, pediatric and radiology units.
This report weeks after the government clarified that it had not abandoned projects that were started by the previous administration.
Citi FM, Occupy Ghana petition: Gov’t outlines plans to tackle health crisis
President Akufo-Addo in August 2017, issued a full response to the joint petition presented by Citi FM and Occupy Ghana demanding the operationalization of all newly built but abandoned healthcare facilities.
The response outlined the government’s plans to operationalize newly-built health facilities in the country as well as the strategy to improve healthcare.