A ranking member on the health committee in parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has vowed to see to the commencement and completion of the La General Hospital.
According to him, after paying a working visit to the site intended for the facility along with some members on the committee on health, the situation was “disheartening”, as work has not commenced. Mr Akandoh explained that the minority is determined to bring the matter before parliament for redress.
“The MP for that particular constituency has filed a lot of questions and a lot of lies have been given as answers to those questions. Now, we have gone to the site to have first-hand information. We are still going to push it on the floor of the House and we will follow this particular project until this project is commenced and completed. So, we are not going to relent at all…”
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
His comments followed claims made by the minority that government has misapplied the funds meant for the La General Hospital Project in Accra.
Mr Akandoh intimated that the sod for the project was cut in August 2020 with the expectation that it will be completed in August 2022. Prior to this, he expressed that anytime questions regarding the project are posed to the minister for health, his response has always been “work is ongoing”.
“If you recall, there was a general hospital at that particular site which was taking care of the people of La, Osu, Nungua and Teshie. Unfortunately, that particular facility was demolished somewhere 15th March 2020, to give way for another redevelopment of the same facility. So, the agreement was brought to parliament and we approved and the President had to drive to the site to cut the sod… When we went to the site, we saw the site was weedy, we saw one trip of sand, one trip of gravels and we saw strips of wawa board. That is what we saw at the site and it doesn’t give any indication whatsoever that the contractor is coming any moment from now because we are talking about a facility of a sum of about 68 million euros… So, I am wondering why the demolition of the existing structure there”.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Justifying his stance which alleged that government has misapplied funds intended for the project, Mr Akandoh explained that once parliament approves a loan for any facility and one is unable to access the loan, it is only befitting to return to parliament to source for a different facility to commence the project. However, he indicated that two years down the lane, “I sit on the committee as the ranking member of the committee and they have not come back with regards to that particular facility”.
Misapplication of €68m for La hospital facility
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, on Friday March 4, 2022, alleged that the government has misapplied the €68m allocated for the rebuilding of the La General Hospital.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the site, Mr. Mintah Akandoh blamed the delay in commencement of the project on misapplication of the funds allocated for the project. Following this, he requested that the government should prove him wrong by finishing the abandoned La General Hospital if the funds have not been misappropriated.
“A facility which cost about 68 million euros, and you have only one trip of sand and gravels on the site. From all indications, work will not commence any moment from now. I am strongly convinced that they have misapplied the money. I want to be proven wrong. If they have not misapplied the money, they should come to the site and start work”.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
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