A comparative analysis of the opposition and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) performance in the health sector in the Ashanti Region by Liberal Institute Policy Studies (LIPS), a centre-right think tank, has shown that the current government has done more than the opposition.
LIPS, a research organization dedicated to utilizing data and research to assess the achievements of the NPP and the opposition, has stated that it conducted an analysis based on statistics spanning the past 16 years. According to their findings, despite the opposition receiving six hospital projects in the Ashanti Region in 2009, they were unable to successfully complete any of them during their eight-year tenure in power.
Findings
During a press briefing to share its research findings, Dr. Kerskine Owusu Poku, the Executive Director of LIPS, mentioned that the group intends to assess the performance of the two main political parties — the opposition and NPP — in the progress of the Ashanti Region.
Dr. Owusu Poku highlighted that when the opposition assumed power on January 7, 2009, it inherited six hospital projects in the Ashanti Region. These projects included the Bekwai Hospital, initiated during the Acheampong regime, the four Euroget projects (Konongo, Tepa, Sewua, and Afari) started under the Kufuor regime, and the 800-bed Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Teaching Hospital.
However, he pointed out that by the time the party left office in 2017, “none of these hospital projects had been completed between January 7, 2009, and January 6, 2017.”
The NDC sought funding for Bekwai Hospital in 2010 and secured the same in 2012. However, the opposition could not finish the hospital project.
On Euroget projects that started in 2008, the opposition revisited the project in 2014. As at the time of leaving office, none was completed,” he stated. He said the 800-bed KNUST Teaching Hospital, which the University started with an Internally Generated Fund, was completely abandoned by the opposition government during its time in power.
Contrast
Dr. Poku highlighted a stark difference by stating that in 2019, the NPP requested extra funding to finalize the long-standing Bekwai District Hospital, which was subsequently inaugurated for operation in 2021.
Furthermore, three out of the four Euroget projects that were passed down have been successfully finished, namely the Konongo and Tepa district hospitals, along with the Sewua Regional Hospital. The latter is still pending inauguration as it awaits the installation of a sub-station power transmission.
The 500-bed Afari Military Hospital is about 95 percent completed and work is ongoing in earnest to complete and inaugurate it for use. Regarding the 800-bed KNUST Teaching Hospital abandoned for eight years under the opposition, the NPP government has secured a loan of €80 million for the continuation and completion of the project.
In addition to these, the Fomena and Kumawu district hospitals which were inherited from the opposition have also been completed. The Fomena Hospital is currently in use and the Kumawu District Hospital was handed over to the Assembly in the second week of April and is expected to be in use in May according to the District Chief Executive, Addai Agyekum.
Hospital projects
Dr Poku revealed that between 2009 and 2016, the opposition party commenced just two hospital projects in the Ashanti region, namely the Fomena and Kumawu hospitals. Unfortunately, they were unable to finish either project before their term ended. Contrastingly, Dr Poku highlighted that during its eight-year tenure, the NPP launched a total of 24 new hospital projects.
Nineteen of these projects fell under the Agenda 111 initiative, while the remaining five were part of the VAMED project. He noted that the VAMED projects in Sabronum, Manso-Nkwanta, Suame-Anomangye, Drobonso, and Twedie have all been successfully completed and handed over to the government. However, the projects under the Agenda 111 scheme are still in progress and have yet to be finalized.
We can, therefore, say that the record of the NPP in the Ashanti Region on health infrastructure development and delivery is stronger than that of the opposition.
