The Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, says government will spend $7.65 billion to complete the Ghana Priority Health Infrastructure Projects, popularly referred to as “Agenda 111 Project” to provide quality healthcare across the country.
The projects comprised 104 district hospitals, seven regional hospitals, two regional psychiatric hospitals (northern and middle belt zones) and one new national psychiatric hospital in Accra.
Currently, construction works on 96 of the projects are on-going and at various stages of completion.
The health facilities would provide employment to over 60,000 health personnel upon completion.
As of July 17, 2024, the Government had paid more than $312 million to contractors working at various sites.
Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye made the disclosure during the Minister’s press briefing organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra on Wednesday.
The briefing was held on the topic: “Empowering Healthcare through Strategic Policy towards Universal Health Coverage” which highlighted some of the policy interventions and health infrastructure projects implemented by the government since 2017.
The minister explained that the agenda 111 projects were categorised into three phases with “Category A” projects witnessing 70 per cent and above completion, “Category B” projects had seen between 50 and 70 per cent completion while “Category C” projects having below 50 per cent completion rate.
Dr Okoe-Boye provided detailed information about some of the health infrastructural projects, which were started by the government in 2021 and afterwards including the La General Hospital.
For instance, the La General Hospital located in the Greater Accra Region was demolished in 2022 after a structural audit report revealed that the facility was a death-trap.
The health facility is a 50- million euros ultra-modern facility being funded by the Government of Ghana and would be completed within 36 months.
Other health facilities being funded by the Government are the Urology Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with 101-bed capacity, rehabilitation of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital at a cost of 90 million euros, a 138.8 million euros maternity block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a 250-bed capacity ultra-modern hospital at Akodum, near Koforidua, in the Eastern Region.
Others were a new ultra-modern regional hospital for the Western Region located at Apemanim, estimated at a cost of 90 million euros, and a 20 million euros ultra-modern hospital at Bolga in the Upper East Region, a 40 million euros hospital in Kyebi and an ultra-modern hospital at Fomena in the Ashanti Region.
On average, the government has completed 250 Community-Based Health Posts (CHPS compounds) and 400 health centres across the country.
On employment of health personnel, Dr Okoe-Boye said the government had employed over 21,000 since 2017, with 3,000 being employed every year.
Ghana is currently training more nurses than required with 55,000 nurses trained every year, Dr Okoe-Boye said, noting that, the nation was in talks with Germany, Seychelles, United Kingdom, and Jamaica to export Ghanaian nurses to work in those countries.
The minister stated that the third batch of Ghanaian nurses would soon leave the shores of Ghana for Barbados under a friendly arrangement between Ghana and Barbados.
The minister suggested that a proper negotiation should be entered with the beneficiary countries so that Ghana would receive at least five per cent of the salaries of the Ghanaian nurses working abroad to help train more nurses at home.
The remittances from Ghanaian nurses working abroad can assist the country in so many ways,” he said.
He cited the Cuba Model where Cuban Government exported medical doctors to other nations and in turn received foreign exchange earnings or forex from its human resources.
Meanwhile, Dr Okoe-Boye said the government would also construct two more medical drone delivery centres to ensure prompt delivery of medicines and blood products to health facilities in hard-to-reach areas.
GNA