The Board overseeing the Heal Komfo Anokye Project has confirmed a three-month halt in the ongoing renovation of the 80-year-old buildings at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The initiative, launched by His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu Ababio II, the Asantehene and formerly led by CEO Prof. Dr. Otchere Addai Mensah, has hit a standstill following changes in government that affected the hospital’s leadership structure.
Speaking on the LuvInTheMorning show monitored by Kumasimail.com, Kojo Darko Asante, Consultant Architect for the Heal Komfo Anokye Project, revealed that the project is currently in a state of transition, with no construction work being carried out.
“Well, the project is stalled, but I would say we are in transition,” he said calmly.
When asked how long the project had been stalled, Mr. Darko confirmed it had paused for “three months.”
He explained that the renovation works require hospital management to free up wards so the project team can carry out their tasks.
He explained “The way Komfo Anokye the project is, hospital is still running whiles work is ongoing so at every stage the hospital management will have to free up a ward or two for us to go in there and start our work. That has been the problem after we completed the handling over in the first two floors.”
Although the first two floors have been completed and handed over, delays in preparing subsequent floors, compounded by government transition have hindered progress.
He stated “Flooring the next floor for us to start work got delayed due to the transition in government, so basically, that is the situation we are under.
“Work is not going on at the moment at all,” Darko again reiterated.
Responding to whether such a prolonged stoppage had occurred before, Mr. Darko remarked it was unprecedented, emphasizing that work typically begins as soon as wards are made available.
“No, once the wards are made available to us, we then kick off the processes, start demolition, and do all that we need to do,” he stressed.
Sammy Adu Boakye, Chairman of the Heal Komfo Anokye Project board, also weighed in, noting that had the engineers gained uninterrupted access to the block, it would likely have been completed by now.
“Everything we need for that block, we basically have,” he said, adding that the project team had anticipated handing over the renovated ‘A Block’ by September or October.
Background:
The Heal Komfo Anokye Project is an initiative launched by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to renovate the aging Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana.
The project aimed to mobilize US$10 million to upgrade and restore the hospital’s 80-year-old buildings, which had deteriorated due to overuse and lack of maintenance.
KATH, originally built in 1954 (initially named Kumasi Central Hospital), is the largest tertiary hospital serving the Ashanti Region and 12 other regions of Ghana, as well as neighboring countries.
It had never undergone significant renovation since its construction, which led to unsafe conditions including faulty plumbing, electrical wiring, and dilapidated structures.
The renovation project was launched in November 2023 as part of the Asantehene’s 25th anniversary legacy projects and involved collaborative efforts from the hospital management, the Ashanti Kingdom, corporate partners like Fidelity Bank Ghana, and the general public.
The project aimed to refurbish Blocks A, B, C, and D of the hospital, modernize infrastructure, improve patient flow and efficiency, and restore safety and comfort for patients and staff.
The project has faced several challenges, including delays caused by government leadership transitions and difficulties clearing imported building materials at the ports due to import duties, stalling progress.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
