A land dispute that delayed the conversion of the Upper East Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital has been resolved, clearing a major hurdle for the conversion process to continue, a ruling party official said.
Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, Upper East Regional Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress, said landowners have agreed to allow construction of a perimeter wall around the hospital to proceed while compensation is finalized later.
“I think the government had issues with the land owners. That has been dealt with,” Mr. Salifu told A1 Radio. “Attorney General, the regional minister has intervened appropriately. And I think the land owners have finally agreed that the walling should be done, whilst compensation comes later.”
The perimeter wall is a mandatory requirement for teaching hospital status and essential for security, Mr. Salifu said.
“You can’t have a teaching hospital that is not walled, even for security reasons,” he said.
The walling project is expected to begin soon, helping the teaching hospital conversion process to continue.
“The work is far advanced,” Salifu said, adding that the resolution “comes as positive news too, as well.”
The teaching hospital project has been a longstanding priority for the region. Converting the regional hospital into a teaching facility would enhance medical training capacity and improve healthcare delivery in the Upper East Region.
Mr. Salifu said the government is addressing development needs across multiple sectors.
“You see that we are handling things from all angles, from education, to health, to roads, to everything,” he said.
The 2026 budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday includes funding for three regional hospitals in newly created regions, though Upper East was not among them. Government officials have indicated the region may receive stadium funding in the 2027 budget.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga
