The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has called on the government to complete the hospitals initiated under the previous administration’s Agenda 111 programme, stressing that the project should be viewed as a national development priority rather than a partisan political issue.
According to him, the completion of the hospitals would significantly expand access to healthcare, particularly for communities that continue to rely heavily on healthcare facilities established and operated by religious organisations.
Rt. Rev. Dr Opare Kwakye made the call during an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV.
He noted that churches, including the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, have historically played an important role in providing healthcare services to communities across the country, but acknowledged that the efforts of religious organisations alone are not sufficient to meet Ghana’s growing healthcare needs.
“The number of our communities are provided with healthcare not by government, but by churches. Yes, but these are not enough. There is more to be done,” he said.
The Presbyterian Moderator argued that the Agenda 111 hospitals, which were initiated by the previous administration, should be completed irrespective of the political party that introduced the programme.
He emphasised that healthcare infrastructure is a national asset and that completing the projects would ultimately benefit Ghanaians across political, religious and social divides.
“We believe that this Agenda 111, which was started for us, it is not about partisan politics; it’s about development of a nation. We believe that these hospitals must be completed,” he stated.
Rt. Rev. Dr Opare Kwakye said the focus should be on ensuring that public resources already committed to the projects result in functioning healthcare facilities capable of serving the population.
“When they are completed, you and I, we will be the beneficiaries,” he stressed.
His comments come amid continuing public debate over the state of the Agenda 111 projects and whether the government should prioritise their completion.
The Agenda 111 initiative was introduced to provide district hospitals in areas that lacked adequate hospital infrastructure, with the broader objective of bringing quality healthcare closer to communities.
The Presbyterian Church Moderator maintained that improving healthcare infrastructure should not be reduced to a contest between political parties, particularly because access to healthcare is a basic need that affects every Ghanaian.
Drawing on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rt. Rev. Dr Opare Kwakye said the pandemic demonstrated the importance of having strong healthcare systems within the country.
He recalled that during the height of the pandemic, even wealthy people and public figures who ordinarily travelled abroad for medical treatment were compelled to depend on healthcare services available locally.
“Do not forget that during the time of COVID, all our big men, they could no longer travel outside Ghana for healthcare. They had to satisfy themselves with local healthcare,” he said.
He argued that the experience should serve as a lesson for the country to strengthen its healthcare infrastructure instead of depending on foreign facilities for specialised treatment.
The Moderator also raised concerns about the risks associated with travelling long distances in search of medical care.
“Sometimes, in traveling from one place to the other, people lose their lives,” he noted.
Rt. Rev. Dr Opare Kwakye therefore urged policymakers to take a long-term approach to healthcare development and invest in facilities that can serve the people regardless of which government is in power.
“Why not do ourselves good by providing for ourselves?” he asked.
He maintained that completing the Agenda 111 hospitals would help expand healthcare access and reduce the burden on existing facilities, particularly in underserved communities.
His appeal adds to calls from various stakeholders for the government to treat unfinished public projects as national assets and ensure that viable projects are completed rather than allowing investments already made to deteriorate.
For the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, he suggested, healthcare remains an important component of national development, with churches continuing to complement the state’s efforts in providing essential health services.
Rt. Rev. Dr Opare Kwakye’s position is that the political ownership of a project should not determine whether it is completed. Instead, he believes projects that have the potential to improve the lives of citizens should be pursued in the broader national interest.
By 1960news.com
