The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Gyenfi, says government has re-engaged the contractor responsible for the stalled Afari Military Hospital project in the Ashanti Region as part of efforts to complete the facility and make it operational.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mr. Gyenfi said the government is reviewing the contract and assessing available medical equipment in the country to facilitate the speedy completion of the project, which was originally expected to be completed in 2018.
According to him, the 500-bed military hospital project was initiated in March 2014 when former President John Dramani Mahama cut sod for its construction at Afari.
The project, valued at $180 million, was scheduled for completion within 42 months.
“Yet, 12 years on, the hospital remains incomplete,” the Deputy Defence Minister stated.
Mr. Gyenfi said by January 2017, civil and architectural works on the project had reached 90 percent completion, although biomedical and mechanical installations remained outstanding, leaving the overall completion level at 57 percent.
He attributed the delay in completing the facility to what he described as “mismanagement, administrative bottlenecks and neglect over the years.”
According to him, when the current government assumed office, the contractor had abandoned the site and no work was ongoing.
“The contractor is demanding outstanding payments of $7 million (Claim 1) and $78 million (Claim 2) before returning to site, even though the previous regime claimed to have settled all obligations and refused further payment,” he said.
The Deputy Minister further disclosed that medical equipment procured for the hospital had been left at the port for extended periods, resulting in significant demurrage charges and the eventual auctioning of some items.
“To compound matters, medical equipment imported for the project was abandoned at the port, incurring heavy demurrages and some eventually auctioned — a tragic waste of resources,” he stated.
Providing an update on the current status of the project, Mr. Gyenfi said the hospital is presently about 60 percent complete overall, with civil and architectural works at 97 percent completion.
However, he noted that biomedical and mechanical installations remain at only five percent completion.
He also revealed that some warranties on medical equipment procured for the project have expired, while other equipment has either become obsolete or been stolen from the site.
“Government has since re-engaged the contractor, reviewing the contract and is currently assessing all medical equipment available in-country to ensure speedy recovery and completion,” he said.
Mr. Gyenfi explained that the Ghana Armed Forces has maintained security at the project site following reported theft incidents.
“Meanwhile, the project has been under the protection of the Ghana Armed Forces due to incidents of theft at the site. All persons are therefore encouraged to seek appropriate authorization before accessing the project site,” he added.
The statement comes shortly after Minority members of Parliament’s Health Committee toured the abandoned facility and called on the government to prioritise its completion to help improve healthcare delivery and reduce pressure on health facilities in the Ashanti Region.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
