Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has directed the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, to report to Parliament in a two-hour ultimatum to respond to some questions.

The Speaker issued a caveat by disclosing that the health minister will face “necessary consequences” if he doesn’t show up.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu is scheduled to appear in Parliament today, March 29, to answer a question by MP for Sefwi Akontombra, Alex Tetteh Djornobuah on the type of health facility programmed to be constructed in Sefwi Akontombra.

He is also expected to provide details on when the facility will be completed and handed over.

“This action is completely disrespectful and I am not going to take that. I direct that the Minister appears before the House within two hours to answer the questions.

“Failure to do so, the necessary consequences will apply. Ministers must take Parliament business seriously”.

Minority demand answers for Health Minister’s absence

Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, justified his absence by stating that he has been engaged in an equally important assignment.

Mr. Annoh-Dompreh’s response however caused a stir amongst the minority. The Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, described the conduct of the Minister as unacceptable.

“We cannot start with these same excuses of Ministers refusing to attend to the House because they have other things that are more important than appearing before this House. This is the time for the budget when all of them need to be in Accra.

“If we relax and allow this thing to continue, then all of us will be held responsible for making this House to be seen to be weak. Why will the Minister of Health say there is some other engagement that is more important than appearing before Parliament. If it was his vetting, will other things be more important to him than that?”

Background to the construction of Akotombra hospital

Cabinet in September 2014, approved a €26 million facility for the construction of two new district hospitals. The hospitals were expected to be situated at Akontombra and Elubo in the Western Region.

The then Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, further revealed that two smaller facilities should have been constructed at Nsuaem and Wassa Dunkwa.

He then described it as another demonstration of John Mahama’s commitment to expand access to quality healthcare delivery across the country.

The long-term objective of the €26 million project, according to Dr Boamah, was to reduce mortalities in the beneficiary districts.

The Cabinet then approved a similar facility for the construction of 15 polyclinics in the Central and Greater Accra regions.

These included Ridge Hospital expansion project, the University of Ghana Teaching Hospital, the Kumasi Military Hospital, Phase two of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and the Police Hospital expansion project.

The projects, when completed, would have made available close to three thousand additional hospital beds.

Dr. Boamah explained then that the Mahama administration was committed to improving access to quality health care. He further disclosed that healthcare in deprived areas would reduce morbidity, disability and mortality.