By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, June 27, GNA – The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has expressed worry at the slow pace of work on some hospital projects in the country, particularly those in the Ashanti Region, and called for swift actions to complete such projects.
He said although “we will not have the money to do it all at once, we must try hard and do our best to ensure the health of the people is prioritized.
“I have realized that things are improving in the financial sector, from now on, try and confer with the Finance Ministry to help raise money to complete the other projects in the country to see to it that the agenda 111 projects are completed on schedule,” the King instructed.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call when a delegation from the Ministry of Health, led by the sector Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, called on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, as part of his working visit to the Ashanti region.
“I have been to Sewua Hospital, I see no reason you should not get work done. Workers on site are saying it is power, others are blaming the delays on the road network, and meanwhile, the Government has spent huge sums to install hospital equipment at the facility.
“When I probed why it is still not operational, the reasons were for the lack of power and poor road network, if this is not fixed on time, the equipment installed will go to waste with time,” the Asantehene bemoaned.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said if hospitals such as the one at Sewua were in operation, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) could have sent some of its patients there to facilitate the smooth and uninterrupted implementation of the ‘Heal the KATH’ project.
He said the KNUST Teaching Hospital was one such project stalled and called on the Health Minister to fast-track its completion for use.
He said although Fomena and Kumawu hospitals were now operational, works going on at Trede should also be prioritized.
Dr. Okoe-Boye, in response, commended the Asantehene for initiating the ‘Heal KATH’ project to ensure advanced healthcare delivery.
He said the Government was doing everything possible to complete all ongoing health projects in the region.
The Minister later visited the KATH and inspected the ongoing construction site of the KATH Maternity and Children’s block.
In an interaction with the management of KATH, he stressed a need for prompt actions to operationalize the Afari Military and Sewua hospitals to be able to decongest KATH.
He suggested that the Ghana Health Service could sign a memorandum of understanding, with the Teaching Hospital, which could spell out some modalities by way of directing some exceptional care services to facilities such as Sewua hospital to be able to further ease the pressure on KATH.
GNA