By Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, June 13, GNA- Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the minister of health, has assured that the La General Hospital will be completed on schedule.
He gave the assurance on Thursday during a working visit to the hospital project site at La to verify the status of the reconstruction of the health facility.
The minister explained that it had been necessary to demolish the hospital’s original building and replace it with a more appropriate structure. because it had become unsafe for both personnel and patients.
“The last facility that I worked at was the La General Hospital, so I am a witness to the situation. The physical structure had a lot of issues and was dangerous to the people working there.”
Dr Okoe-Boye said funding issues caused a delay in the planned completion of the reconstruction project, but those challenges had been resolved and the Government had secured the resources to finish the facility.
The prayer is that the government would work assiduously on the debt exchange programme so that all loans would be released for projects to be completed for the good people of Ghana to benefit.
He commended the project manager for the steady progress of work and urged him to expedite the completion of the facility.
The project is an ultra-modern standard feature with a 160-bed capacity and a residential block to serve as an accommodation for key hospital staff. It is beyond a district hospital.
The project manager, Mr Richard Nii Dadey, said that the facility, which is now about 20 per cent completed and should be completed in 28 months, will include a mortuary, a surgical ward, an outpatient department (OPD), and many other conveniences.
“The government is funding the project 100 per cent, and with the experience, we got from the first certificate that was paid within time, we concluded that funds were available for the completion of a quality project.”
Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Member of Parliament (MP), La Dadekotopon expressed excitement over the progress of work on the facility.
She was optimistic that its completion would benefit the people of La and its environs.
“The reconstruction of the Hospital has been dear to my heart, and I have really advocated it together with the good people of la Dadekotopon. We have been monitoring since the demolition, through the sod-cutting phase and we are happy with the progress of work,” she stated.
Madam Sowah urged the contractors and engineers to put in maximum effort and ensure that work was not delayed.
She also commended the Minister for his keen interest in the project.
The La General Hospital was demolished in July 2020, to make way for the reconstruction of a modern facility.
Reconstruction of the ultra-modern facility began in January 2024, after several years of complaints by the public and key stakeholders.
GNA