Member of Parliament for Bantema Constituency, Francis Asenso Boakye, has dismissed allegations that the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo abandoned the Afari Military Hospital project in the Ashanti Region.
The Afari Military Hospital, a 500-bed facility located in Afari town within the Atwima Nwabiagya District, was initiated to expand military health infrastructure beyond the capital and serve both military personnel and civilians in the middle and northern sectors of Ghana.
During a recent interview on Abusua965FM’s program Bresosem with Kojo Marfo, Mr. Asenso Boakye clarified that while the project faced challenges, it was never abandoned by the Akufo-Addo administration.
He attributed delays primarily to funding variations that stalled progress.
“Afari was continued. When I was at Jubilee House, I worked on it. The issue was a variation that arose because the Finance Ministry struggled to justify certain payments, which caused the project to stall temporarily,” Mr. Boakye explained.
He emphasized firmly, “We didn’t abandon Afari. Please don’t say what you don’t know.”
Pressing further, the host pointed out that the hospital was incomplete when Asenso Boakye left office, to which the MP responded, “Yes, work was ongoing during our time, but funding variations emerged. The contractor requested additional funds, which the Finance Ministry could not justify. This back-and-forth led to the project stalling, not because the government decided to abandon it.”
The Afari Military Hospital was first contracted on 20 August 2008 between the Ghanaian government and Euroget De-Invest (EDI), with an initial completion timeline of 42 months.
However, the project has undergone multiple relocations from its original site to Tamale, Accra, and finally to Afari near Kumasi. Physical construction at Afari commenced on 23 April 2014.
Designed as a comprehensive medical facility, the hospital will feature 500 beds, 17 specialist clinics, operating theatres, laboratories, pharmacy units, a mortuary, staff accommodation comprising a 54-flat complex, and essential infrastructure such as a medical-gas plant, central kitchen and laundry, water and waste treatment plants, internal roads, landscaping, and ample parking.
The hospital is planned to serve not only military personnel but also civilians, easing the burden on Ashanti Region’s main referral center, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Records show that in the 2016 budget review presented to Parliament by then-Finance Minister Seth Terkper, under President John Mahama’s administration, the project had reached about 60% completion.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (2025-2028), the government plans to complete the Afari Military Hospital by December 2025, signaling renewed commitment to this key infrastructure.
Source: www.Kumasimail.com
