The Agenda 111 District Hospital at Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District in the Oti Region will be completed and ready for use by January 2024.
The Minister for Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, disclosed this during a visit to the project site last Tuesday with the Presidential Advisor on Health at the Office of the President, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare.
He noted that the 60-bed capacity project, which commenced in August 2022, is currently about 30.8 per cent complete.
He stated, “The needed funding had been secured for the project to be completed as scheduled. The Agenda 111 projects are given priority by the government and 88 of the hospitals which are at various stages of completion across the country would be completed on schedule. Among the components of the hospitals are accident centres and mortuaries.”
According to the Minister, the facilities would also become mini hubs for the training of nursing students.
He noted that although some of them had suffered initial challenges, including difficulty in land acquisition, the government was committed to completing them.
He assured residents of Kpassa that discussions were ongoing with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to improve the condition of roads in the area to ensure easy access to the hospital, adding that the facility would enjoy uninterrupted power supply when completed.
On his part, Dr Nsiah–Asare highlighted the significant socioeconomic and employment opportunities that the initiatives would bring.
“Through this project, we expect to employ approximately 20,000 health workers across various roles, from doctors and nurses to support staff. There is wealth in health and this hospital will create a strong socio-economic environment in the district. More than 300 workers would be employed to work in the facility upon completion,” he noted.
He bemoaned that currently, the Nkwanta-North District has no public hospital, a development that compels residents to travel long distances on deplorable roads to access health care, leading to the loss of lives sometimes.
Dr Nsiah-Asare entreated the chiefs to allocate more land for the construction of accommodation facilities for the staff of the hospital upon completion.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
