Minority and media stopped from inspecting Afari Military Hospital
Minority legislators on the Health Committee led by Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and the media were stopped from filming and inspecting the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital.
This was part of the committee’s unannounced visit of some abandoned health projects in the country where an unperturbed leader of the group Hon Akandoh called the bluff of the military officials indicating the committee will do its work no matter what.
He further described the Akufo-Addo led administration as old people who do not respect citizens of this country.
Explaining that the government ought to have completed the health projects commenced under the erstwhile Mahama administration if they respect Ghanaians in order to serve the needs of the governed.
He said his during one of their visits to another uncompleted health facility in the Sekyere Afram Plains district of Kumawu.
Reports however indicate that Kumawu and Fomena hospitals are part of seven facilities financed by United Kingdom Export Financing and work was to be completed in 2019 at the cost of 173 million euros.
According to the government, a total of $38.3 million out of contract sum of $175 million was found in the coffers to complete the projects.
The Ranking Member on the health committee in parliament still on their tour lamented that “What I have seen here is an affront to the mandate the good people of this country have given to the president. I think that this government is a group of old men who have no respect for the stakeholders, stakeholders in the governance of this country, they have no respect for the people of this country.
“If for nothing at all, we were here more than two years ago, if the president respects the parliament of this country, at least they would have responded positively.
“We are paying interest on the loan contracted for this purpose meanwhile the people in this country have not benefited from this project.
“This project was awarded somewhere in 2015 which should have been completed by 2017 and we are in 2021 and we are in the weeds. When you talk they will sit in Accra and try to defend.”
Paramount Chief of the Kumawu Traditional Area, Barima Safo Tweneboah Kodua, was also not happy about the delay in the completion of the Sekyere Afram Plains district hospital.
He also lamented that failure to complete the facility is denying his subjects quality health care.
Barima Safo Tweneboah Kodua further revealed that despite a return to the site by a contractor, the government has still not released funds for the 120-bed project to continue.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
