Agenda 111 hospital project starts in Kassena-Nankana West

The chief executive for the Kassena-Nankana West District, Gerard Ataogye has cut the sod for work to begin on a district hospital under the government’s Agenda 111 projects.

The DCE cut the sod Thursday 17 February 2022, on a land in Paga-Zenga which the contractor – Akofis Engineering – had already begun clearing.

The Agenda 111 hospital projects, which were promised by President Akufo-Addo in April 2020, are aimed at resourcing the country’s health sector in the face of the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The project, per the words of the government, covers the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of 101 district hospitals and six regional hospitals for the newly created regions, among others.

Eight districts in the Upper East Region, per government documents, will benefit from the project, namely; Garu, Bolgatanga East, Builsa South, Tempane, Pusiga, Binduri, Nabdam and the Kassena-Nankana West District.

The DCE, addressing the press after breaking the ground, said the district’s project on completion would help residents have access to improved health care services in line with President Akufo-Addo’s vision for Ghana’s health sector.

He said President Akufo-Addo was determined to ensure the completion of the project to provide the people with better health care Services. Ataogye, who was grateful further lauded the government for kick-starting the Agenda 111 initiative.

He said the hospital would come with accommodation for staff, be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and manned by doctors, nurses and other health personnel for the betterment of residents.

“The project is strategically placed to enable the rural folk to benefit. For them to commute from far distances to get health care is not good. So, when complete it would reduce some of these challenges. Also, the health facilities in the district are mostly congested. When this particular project is completed, health care will improve.”

He added, “the president is bent on delivering this project to the people of the district. So, the project by His Grace will be completed in 18 months. Projects of this nature need money and the president has done that.”

The district health director, Hypolite Yeledour was happy the completion of the project would help reduce the pressure on health facilities in the district.

He explained that the district health directorate was finding it difficult to cater for the health needs of the growing population with the limited health facilities in the district.

He, therefore, urged authorities to expedite efforts to ensure that the hospital project is completed within schedule to address some of the challenges.

Yeledour assured the government and the district assembly maximum cooperation from the health directorate to see the completion of the project.

“They should complete it on time so that it relieves us of the numerous challenges having to do with accommodation for staff, service space and we having to refer people because we don’t have some equipment. It’s going to serve a very huge population of over 90,000 people. So, we are going to give them all the necessary support and guidance that are required to get it completed.”

Emmanuel Opei-Kumi, the procurement manager who represented Akofis Engineering, assured that the project would be delivered on schedule.

He stated that a total number of 24 units, including an Out-Patient Department, male, female, pediatric and isolation wards, a pharmacy, surgical theatres for maternity, staff accommodation, among others, would be constructed.