Mr. Ernest Brogya Genfi, Deputy Defence Minister, has, through a Facebook post, set the records straight on the stalled Military Hospital Project at Afari in the Nwabiagya Municipality of Ashanti Region.
He stated that in March 2014, President John Dramani Mahama cut the sod for the construction of a 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari. The project, which was valued at $180 million then, was scheduled for completion within 42 months, that is, by 2018. Yet, 12 years on, the hospital remains incomplete.
According to him, by January 2017, civil and architectural works stood at 90%. However, mismanagement, administrative bottlenecks and neglect over the years have stalled progress. When the new government assumed office, the contractor had abandoned the site and no work was taking place.
He noted that the contractor is now demanding outstanding payments of $7 million under Claim 1 and $78 million under Claim 2 before returning to site, even though the previous regime claimed to have settled all obligations and refused further payment.
The Deputy Minister lamented that to compound matters, medical equipment imported for the project was abandoned at the port, incurring heavy demurrage charges, and some items were eventually auctioned.
According to him, currently, the hospital stands at 60% overall completion, with civil and architectural works at 97%, but biomedical and mechanical installations at only 5%. Some warranties on medical equipment have expired, while others have become outdated or were stolen from the site, among other troubling developments.
Mr. Brogya Genfi indicated that government has since re-engaged the contractor, reviewed the contract, and is currently assessing all medical equipment available in-country to ensure speedy recovery and completion.
Meanwhile, the project has been placed under the protection of the Ghana Armed Forces because of incidents of theft at the site. Deputy Minister Brogya Genfi entreated all persons to seek appropriate authorisation before accessing the project site.
He stressed that while the government works tirelessly to salvage the project and deliver the hospital to the Ghana Armed Forces and the people of Ashanti, it should be spared the provocations of those who slept on a 3-year project for 8 years.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
