The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Achiase in the Eastern Region, Samuel Owusu Brako, has rejected claims that the 40 bed Achiase District Hospital was constructed under the Akufo-Addo administration’s Agenda 111 programme.
According to him, documents available at the Achiase District Assembly indicate that the hospital was fully funded by the government of the Czech Republic as part of a number of hospital projects they undertook in selected districts across Ghana.
Speaking in an interview with 1960news.com, Mr. Owusu Brako said Achiase was among the beneficiary districts and insisted that the facility’s funding records clearly distinguish it from the Agenda 111 projects.
He challenged anyone who disputes the Assembly’s records to produce evidence to establish that the hospital was financed under Agenda 111.
Hon. Samuel Owusu Brako, DCE, Achiase
“Today, as I sit here as the DCE, I can say with all authority that the Achiase District Hospital is not part of the Agenda 111 projects. We have the documents available, and whoever wants to challenge this can come forward,” he said.
The DCE further accused the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of rushing to commission the facility shortly before the 2024 general election without the equipment required for full operations.
He specifically alleged that then-Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia commissioned the hospital without the necessary equipment and subsequently sought to associate it with Agenda 111 for political benefit ahead of the election.
Mr. Owusu Brako said although he did not have access to the relevant information at the time because he was not in government, the Assembly’s records now enable him to clarify the origin and funding of the project.
He maintained that the facility was commissioned without the requisite equipment and was therefore unable to provide the full range of services expected of a district hospital.
According to the DCE, the situation changed after the current administration of President John Dramani Mahama engaged the consultant responsible for the project and facilitated the provision of the necessary equipment.
He said the hospital subsequently commenced full operations on April 14, 2025.
Mr. Owusu Brako also disclosed that the initial 16 workers recruited to support the facility were temporarily paid through the Assembly’s Internally Generated Funds (IGF) while awaiting financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
He said the workers were later removed from the Assembly’s payroll after the necessary clearance was secured to regularise their employment arrangements.
The DCE stressed that the hospital remains an important healthcare facility for residents of Achiase and surrounding communities, but its funding source should not be confused with the Agenda 111 initiative.
He therefore urged the public and stakeholders to rely on official documentation when discussing the history, financing and implementation of the project.
Agenda 111 was introduced by the Akufo-Addo administration as a major healthcare infrastructure programme aimed at constructing district hospitals and other health facilities across the country.
Mr. Owusu Brako, however, maintained that the Achiase District Hospital falls outside that programme and was instead delivered through financial support from the Czech government.
By 1960news.com
