The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has cast doubts over the government’s ability to complete just 10 out of the hospital project dubbed; Agenda 111.
Expressing worry over the lack of dedicated funding to complete the project, John Mahama says the burden of the initiative is going to be borne by the next government due to the improper planning by the current administration.
Government, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, promised to construct 88 district hospitals including some regional facilities to aid healthcare. The project, along the line, was extended to 111.
Although the government had promised to complete the project in just 12 months, they have not been able to complete 10% after almost 3 years.
Speaking to journalists in Sunyani, the capital of the Bono region as part of his campaign tour Wednesday, September 11, 2024, John Mahama said he is not sure the government is going complete 15 out of the 111 hospitals before leaving office.
“I don’t know how they went about the whole thing but if you start so many projects at the same time without dedicated funding for, what will happen is that, at the end of their term, they will leave a lot of uncompleted hospitals without contractors on site. They have roofed and plastered but without windows and doors or equipment.
“I’m not sure they will be able to complete about 10 or 15 completely with equipment and everything. So it means the whole headache is going to be borne on the shoulders of the next government,” he stated.
John Mahama however, promised that the project will be completed as he has already assured of his commitment to complete all abandoned and uncompleted projects by the current administration.
He, nonetheless, indicated that a fiscal space needs to be created to provide funds to complete the project.
“But I have said that we are not going to stop any project. We will continue every ongoing project. But we have to create the fiscal space in order for us to fund and complete.
“We will continue and complete all abandoned and uncompleted projects and Agenda 111 is one of the projects we have to find the money to continue and finish it,” he assured.