Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has raised concerns about the ongoing delays in operationalizing the Sewua and Afari Military hospitals, emphasizing the potential impact on the lifespan of the installed equipment.
He warned that the state might face additional costs to maintain the equipment if the hospitals remain unused, as the warranty periods could expire.
The 250-bed Sewua Hospital and the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital have experienced delays, with authorities missing several completion deadlines.
During a forum in Kumasi on Friday, November 8, where the government’s achievements in the Ashanti Region were highlighted, Mr Osei-Mensah urged for the immediate commissioning and utilization of these facilities.
“I talked about two hospital facilities which I consider should be operationalised within the shortest possible time. We need to commission them for them to start receiving patients. These two are the Sewua Regional Hospital and the Afari Military Hospital. The Sewua Regional Hospital has a 250-bed capacity and the Afari Hospital has a 500-bed capacity.
“The reason why I’m saying we should commission them is that both of them are complete. Sewua is complete. What we’re waiting for is the access road, but the contractor is in the advanced stage, which we know he will complete in the next few weeks. Afari Hospital, we were having some challenges with the sewerage system.
“Now they have completed that so we can also commission them. My main concern is that if we don’t commission these facilities, within the shortest possible time, it’s possible that the warranty period for some of these equipment might be elapsed. If it happens that way and we start using them, it will mean we wil have to find money and go and buy new ones. That is what we need to avoid.”
He mentioned that he is in discussions with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other authorities to expedite the commissioning of the two projects.
He also asserted that the Akufo-Addo-led government has outperformed the previous administration in terms of development in the Ashanti Region.
#GhanaPolls2024
#CitiVerify
#ElectionBureau
