Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that a private member’s motion will be filed on the state of abandoned hospital projects in the country to parliament.
According to him, the motion will be filed once Parliament resumes from recess in October 2021.
The minority in parliament on the Health Committee toured project sites in Kumawu, Fomena, Afari, and Somanya. So far, except for the project in Somanya, all other project sites visited by the minority have not been completed and handed over to the Ministry of Health.
The tour embarked on by the minority was to authenticate government’s claim that no health facility has been abandoned since the NPP took over power in 2017.
Commenting on this, Mr Akandoh explained that the next move of the minority will be to pursue the completion of the abandoned hospital projects. To achieve this, the Juaboso legislator revealed that the minority will not default in its quest until Ghanaians get value for all the monies borrowed.
“When we come back from recess, we are going to move a Private Member Motion in a bid to compel the Health Minister to do the needful for the operationalization of these facilities and complete all other abandoned hospital projects.
“So, we will not relax and this is not the first time we are doing this, and it won’t be the last time we will be doing it. So, we will do it until the good people of this country get value for the money we borrowed”.
Kwame Mintah Akandoh
Abetifi abandoned hospital project
Following this, Mr Akandoh disclosed that the minority has petitioned the Ministry of Health to immediately re-package and re-award the abandoned hospital project at Abetifi in the Eastern Region.
“The people of Abetifi deserve better than this. We have a Minister responsible for health, and the President himself must be held responsible. I think we are not angry enough… That is why we have come back here after two years. For us, not until these hospitals have been operationalized, we will not relax. We need results and the government must ensure the project is completed”.
Kwame Mintah Akandoh
The ranking member on the health committee of parliament further underscored government’s need to “assess the structure, repackage it, and quickly re-award it for the good people of Abetifi to benefit”.
Minority determined to hold government accountable
In an earlier engagement, Mr Akandoh had strongly expressed the intent “to consult leadership (NDC Caucus)” on their next move.
He later expressed his resolve to “compel the government to complete these projects so that our investment will not go to waste”, if need be.
“We have the right to do so because the money we used to undertake these projects were loans, we have started paying interest on these loans, meanwhile the people do not have the full benefit of the project”.
Kwame Mintah Akandoh
The health minister, along with government Mr Akandoh revealed, “have been categorical that no health project in this country has been abandoned”. Based on their claim, he disclosed that it was imperative for the minority to substantiate their assertions.
“… So, it was our words against theirs so we decided to go and have these evidence.
“What we saw was pathetic. Go to Abetifi you will be sad, you will weep. This is causing financial loss to the state”.
Kwame Mintah Akandoh
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