Members of Parliament from the Minority Caucus have renewed calls for the completion and operationalization of the Afari Military Hospital after an inspection visit to the facility highlighted lingering concerns over delays in commissioning the long-awaited project.
The lawmakers visited the hospital on Wednesday to assess progress on the facility, which was expected to ease pressure on healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region but remains largely non-operational years after construction was substantially completed.
The visit comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of healthcare services in the region following recent challenges at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, including the suspension of its Chief Executive Officer and a brief industrial action by doctors.
Speaking during the inspection, Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, stressed the urgent need for government action, arguing that delays in bringing the facility into full operation were affecting healthcare access for residents.
“In emergency situations where people are being turned away and lives are at risk, we cannot remain silent,” he said, emphasizing that public officials have a responsibility to ensure critical health infrastructure serves the people.
The inspection was briefly interrupted when military personnel stationed at the facility questioned the delegation’s authorization to enter the premises. Officials insisted that the MPs should have sought prior approval before accessing the hospital grounds.
Despite the disagreement, the lawmakers maintained that their visit was intended to assess the readiness of the facility and draw attention to the need for its completion.
The Afari Military Hospital project was initiated under a turnkey agreement signed in 2008 between the Government of Ghana and Euroget De-Invest. Construction began in March 2014 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2017.
Although the hospital’s physical structures have largely been completed, the facility has yet to become fully operational due to outstanding technical, legal and funding challenges. The repeated postponement of its commissioning has raised concerns among health professionals and residents who view the hospital as critical to expanding healthcare capacity in the region.
The Minority Caucus says the continued delay underscores the need for greater accountability and urgency in delivering major public health infrastructure projects.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
