President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to completing the “Agenda 111” Hospital Project, an initiative aimed at expanding healthcare infrastructure in Ghana. The project, which commenced with the sod-cutting ceremony in August 2021, seeks to provide essential healthcare facilities across the country.
At the commissioning of the St. Michael’s Specialist Hospital in Abeka Lapaz on Saturday, September 30, 2023, the President highlighted significant progress in the construction of eighty-six (86) district hospitals, two (2) regional psychiatric hospitals, and one (1) western regional hospital. These projects are at various stages of completion, with an average overall completion rate of fifty-two percent (52%).
The President emphasized that these hospitals are being constructed by indigenous Ghanaian contractors, creating both direct and indirect job opportunities for Ghanaians. Each construction site employs an average of one hundred and twenty (120) workers, and upon completion, the hospitals will provide employment for an estimated total of sixty-seven thousand, six hundred and thirty-five (67,635) individuals.
The “Agenda 111” initiative includes the construction of 101 standard 100-bed district hospitals with accommodation for medical staff, six (6) new regional hospitals for the newly created regions, rehabilitation of the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region, and the construction of two (2) psychiatric hospitals. The estimated cost of the entire project is USD$1.765 billion.
President Akufo-Addo expressed his vision to position Ghana as the “Centre of Excellence for Medical Care in West Africa by 2030.” He emphasized Ghana’s favorable status in the region as a peaceful and democratic country and its commitment to attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In addition to the infrastructure development, the government has taken steps to improve healthcare services. Notable achievements include the restoration of nursing trainee allowances, recruitment of a record number of healthcare workers, the provision of three hundred and seven (307) ambulances under the “1-Constituency-1-Ambulance” initiative, enhancements in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and the use of drones for delivering emergency medical supplies to remote areas.
The “Agenda 111” Hospital Project is seen as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and quality across the nation. It aligns with the broader goal of achieving comprehensive healthcare coverage and excellence in medical care delivery in Ghana.
