The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that the government currently lacks the financial resources to complete the stalled Agenda 111 hospital projects, a flagship initiative from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
His remarks have raised fresh concerns about the future of the ambitious project, which was launched to improve healthcare accessibility, especially in underserved regions.
Akandoh attributed the funding shortfall to the failure of the NPP administration to allocate sufficient financial resources for the completion of the hospitals before leaving office.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, March 10, he expressed frustration over the slow progress of the initiative and stressed that the government does not have the necessary funds to continue work on the unfinished facilities.
“When John Dramani Mahama was leaving office, there were ongoing health projects, and we left money behind to ensure their completion. However, there’s no money now, as I speak to you, to finish these projects because there were no reliable and dedicated sources of funding,” he stated.
Agenda 111, which was launched in August 2021 under the NPP government, aimed to construct 111 hospitals across Ghana. The plan included 101 district hospitals, six regional hospitals, two psychiatric hospitals, and the redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. The initiative was intended to bridge gaps in healthcare, especially in districts without hospitals, and strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
Despite its ambitious goals, the project has faced significant delays due to financial constraints, land acquisition issues, and logistical challenges.
Each hospital was initially projected to cost around $17 million, with an expected completion timeline of 18 months. Nearly three years later, however, many of the projects remain incomplete or have made minimal progress beyond the initial stages.
