Former President John Mahama asked that President Nana Akufo-Addo endeavor to complete health infrastructure projects he started rather than cutting sods for new ones.
Ex-President Mahama posited that his predecessor is only interested in cutting sod for his Agenda 111 hospital projects than paying attention to several uncompleted hospital projects dotted across the country.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in Koforidua on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, as part of his “Thank You tour” of the region, Mr. Mahama complained to the traditional leaders about the current government’s abandonment of several uncompleted projects started under his administration, while describing the situation as worrying.
“Nananom, there’s a very worrying development that I cannot avoid talking about and that is the issue of abandoned projects”, Mr Mahama noted, pointing out: “Governments are enjoined to continue the projects began by their predecessors”.
He lamented that “Unfortunately, it will appear that after 2016, the new government that came, has either advertently or inadvertently refused to work on many projects that the previous governments started and I can name so many of them: there are road projects, hospital projects, school projects”.
Mr. Mahama also cited an example of Abetifi Hospital which he said has been abandoned and left to rot.
He told the traditional leaders “I know in my brother Kwawumanhene’s jurisdiction, the famous Abetifi Hospital is crying for continuation and completion”.
“If you go to other places, there are many of such hospitals that have been abandoned”, he complained.
He however expressed some joy that Somanya Hospital has been completed, adding that “but then it needs to be operationalised as quickly as possible”.
The government, he mentioned, “says it is going to build 111 more hospitals”.
“If some have been finished, at least, let them start working while you bring in the extra 111 or if some were ongoing, complete them and add the 111 hospitals”, Mr Mahama insisted.
“Unfortunately, it looks like there’s more attention in cutting sod for the new 111 hospitals than there is for completing the hospitals that are already under construction and, so, these are things that I think we need to draw attention to”, he said.
