A communications team member of the National Democratic Congress in the Upper East Region, Yussif Abdul Kadir, has argued that the plan to construct more than 100 hospitals nationwide may have stretched the country’s capacity, resulting in delays and limited functionality of some completed facilities.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Mr. Abdul Kadir raised concerns about the implementation of the previous government’s Agenda 111 programme, describing it as overly ambitious and in need of a more realistic approach.
“The government needed to focus on a few realistic projects that could be completed to benefit the masses, rather than attempting to build 111 hospitals when clearly the capacity is limited. Sometimes we need to assess the government’s ability to complete such projects,” he said.
He noted that although some facilities under the programme have reportedly been completed, many are yet to become operational due to a lack of essential equipment and supporting infrastructure. He stressed that constructing hospital buildings alone is insufficient without fully resourcing them to deliver healthcare services.
“Building a hospital involves a lot. Take our regional hospital as an example. When the new structures—such as the emergency unit, male and female wards, and surgical wards—were constructed before 2017, it took several years to equip them fully. We are happy that today the facility is in use and benefiting the people,” he said.
Despite his concerns, Mr. Abdul Kadir acknowledged recent efforts by the government to prioritise selected Agenda 111 hospitals for completion and operationalisation, expressing hope that some would become functional by the end of the year.
“I am encouraged that the government has indicated plans to complete and operationalise about 10 Agenda 111 hospitals this year. Completion alone is not enough—without the necessary equipment, such facilities risk becoming white elephants. If these are completed and functional, alongside others already near completion, we could have close to 20 operational hospitals by the end of the year,” he said.
Touching on local health infrastructure, he highlighted ongoing efforts to complete Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds across districts in the region.
“For the Upper East Region, using the District Assemblies Common Fund, it is expected that each district should have at least four CHPS compounds,” he said.
According to him, several of these facilities are at advanced stages of completion, while others that were previously abandoned are now receiving funding. He added that completing these CHPS compounds would improve access to primary healthcare and serve as the first point of contact for patients before referrals to higher-level facilities.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
