President John Dramani Mahama has criticised the implementation strategy behind the Agenda 111 hospital programme introduced by the previous administration, describing the decision to commence all 111 projects at once as unwise and financially unsustainable.
Speaking during an engagement with the Northern Regional House of Chiefs on Friday, May 15, before leaving for Geneva on an official trip, the President said the nationwide hospital initiative would have been more effective if it had been carried out in phases.
According to him, beginning construction on all the hospitals simultaneously created significant challenges and affected the smooth execution of the programme.
“I do not believe it was prudent to start all 111 hospitals at the same time. A phased approach would have made more sense,” President Mahama stated.
He explained that although some of the projects reached various stages of development, several contractors allegedly failed to continue work after receiving mobilisation funds.
“In some cases, contractors collected mobilisation money and abandoned the sites,” he revealed.
The President added that state authorities are taking steps to retrieve the funds and hold the affected contractors accountable.
“The Economic and Organised Crime Office is pursuing the matter,” he said.
Despite raising concerns about the management of the initiative, President Mahama stressed that his government remains committed to ensuring the hospitals are eventually completed to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
He disclosed that the government has reviewed the programme and identified 35 hospital projects that are close to completion and will now be prioritised.
The President further indicated that additional allocations would be made in future budgets to support the completion of more hospitals in phases.
As part of the revised strategy, government is also seeking partnerships with faith-based health institutions to help complete and operate some of the facilities.
“We are engaging faith-based organisations that manage hospitals to adopt some of the projects they are capable of completing and running,” he noted.
The Agenda 111 initiative was introduced to expand healthcare infrastructure nationwide, but many of the projects have faced delays, stalled construction, and concerns over rising costs, leading to renewed calls for a more sustainable implementation approach.
By 1960news.com
