The Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has reiterated his stance on the government’s inability to fund the ambitious Agenda 111 hospital project.
He alleged that government has rendered the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) bankrupt.
His comments follow a press statement by the Minority in Parliament, highlighting the dire financial situation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) under the current administration.
He challenged claims by the government to have commissioned 50 hospitals out of the 111, asserting that this number is unrealistic given the financial constraints.
According to Akandoh, the government’s inability to sustain NHIS rendered it bankrupt, thus speaking volumes to the government “not even having the money for Agenda 111.” He alleged that promises made regarding the construction of 111 hospitals would not materialise due to lack of funds.
“The President told the good people of Ghana that before January 2025 he will hand over 111 hospitals, even the 50 they are promising, they don’t even have the money, there is no money for Agenda 111.
“Right from day one that the NPP promised Agenda 111, I told Ghanaians there will be no 111 hospitals in Ghana, they called me all sorts of names including prophet of doom among others. It is all politics, the NPP does not respect Ghanaians, they think they are smarter than Ghanaians, they are always looking for the political capital that is all they are looking for,” Mr Akandoh stated.
Speaking on Yen Nsempa hosted by Nana Yaa Brefo and co-hosted by Isaac Ekow JB on Onua FM, May 26, Akandoh criticised the government’s approach to healthcare, accusing the administration of “prioritising political gains over the welfare of Ghanaians.”
Furthermore, Akandoh warned against the potential consequences of the NPP and its Flagbearer Mahamadu Bawumia hastily commissioning hospitals without adequate equipment and resources to make the situation temporarily go away ahead of the 2024 general elections, suggesting that such facilities may not be fully operational or beneficial to patients.
“They will wait until elections and pretend to be doing something, very soon Vice President Dr Bawumia will be going round one place to another commissioning like 10 hospitals and then tell Ghanaians the rest are in various stages of completion.
“Even the 10 I’m mentioning, they will do a caricature move and commission facilities no patients can use because there might be no equipment in there, take it from me, they will close such facilities again,” he said.
By Lois Dogbe
