The Member of Parliament for Sissala West, Adams Mohammed Sukparu has dragged the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, to Parliament over the Sissala West District Hospital Project, which is yet to commence.
According to the MP, the district is one of the 111 district hospitals President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised to construct for Ghanaians which he stated during the 2021 State of the Nation Address and was duly captured in the 2021 budget.
Mr. Sukparu through a parliamentary question wanted to know when construction works for the hospital will commence in his district.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Health when construction of the Gwollu District Hospital will commence,” the Sissala West lawmaker asked.
He said the absence of such a facility is having an adverse impact on the lives of his constituents with regard to access to quality healthcare.
He stressed that pregnant women and other persons seeking healthcare services have to travel long distances to either SIssala East, Navrongo, or Wa, the Upper West Regional capital in order to access healthcare.
Minister’s response
In response, the Minister for Health acknowledged that the Sissala West District has been listed under the Agenda 111 district hospitals promised by the President.
According to the minister, some preliminary issues have to be resolved before the construction could commence.
Some of the outstanding issues that needed urgent attention before the commencement of work included land acquisition, architectural and engineering designs, specifications, procurement of contractors, award of contracts and site selection among others.
The Minister stated that “as of now, site selection for 101 sites have been completed, and they will soon be handed to contractors.”
He further explained that all things being equal, contractors would commence work by the end of July 2021 and assured that as soon as the Sissala West District project issues are resolved, construction would follow to provide a befitting hospital to the people of Sissala West and its environs.