53 abandoned gov’t health facilities uncovered

A list of about fifty-three health facilities started by the erstwhile John Mahama administration have been left to rot, the Coalition of NGOs in Health has said.

According the coalition, most of these facilities which are scattered across the country are uncompleted and have been abandoned.

According to its Chairman, Dr Gabriel Bernaku, the number of the abandoned projects represents the Coalition’s latest data as of April 29, 2020.

“As at 12 noon, my regional representatives are able to give me at least 53 health facilities either completed and not commissioned or abandoned halfway,” he said on Joy FM.

Dr. Bernaku’s response comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised to build 88 new district hospitals within a one-year span.

This disclosure led to the calls for him to complete projects started by the previous administration instead of building new ones.

Dr Gabriel Bernaku explained that “many of these projects are normally between 60% to 100% complete and these are from 2017 to date.”

“We are mindful of two critical issues: …we have to continue and upgrade what has existed to allow communities to use them and then we add on,” he advised.

Acknowledging that some facilities have seen some level of utilisation by the current government, the Chairman of the Coalition entreated President Akufo-Addo to redirect his attention to the uncompleted projects while plans are effectively rolled out with regards to the new district hospitals.

“The Coalition of NGOs in Health is not against government adding the 88 health facilities to the existing ones. We have been very clear from day-one since 2017 that government should add, as stipulated in their manifesto, so if they want to do more, so be it,” he said.

source: pulse.com.gh