- Agenda 111 lacks dedicated funding
- $400 million disbursed, no hospital operational
- Mahama open to public-private partnerships
President John Mahama has revealed that the Agenda 111 hospital project currently lacks a dedicated funding source, despite $400 million having already been disbursed for the initiative.
In his State of the Nation Address on Thursday, February 27, Mahama described the project as a reactionary move to address public concerns that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that the project was initiated after citizens expressed dissatisfaction with stalled hospital projects under the current government, and the public took note of the healthcare investments made by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
“The Agenda 111 project was initiated as a knee-jerk reaction during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Ghanaian public began to appreciate the significant investments made by the previous NDC administration in healthcare facilities. Many citizens lamented the stalled hospital projects under the NPP administration, leading to a promise to build 111 hospitals,” Mahama stated.
The former president criticized the distribution of resources across all 111 hospitals, stating that this approach has hampered the completion of any single facility. “I regret to inform you that there is currently no dedicated funding source for such a monumental project. As I speak, not a single Agenda 111 hospital is operational in any part of Ghana. It is worth noting that $400 million has already been disbursed under the Agenda 111 project,” Mahama said.
He further highlighted that the $400 million could have been better utilized by focusing on completing and operationalizing a smaller number of hospitals. “This amount could have been used to complete and operationalize at least 22 hospitals. I believe the funds should have been focused on completing a number of hospitals instead of being spread thinly across all 111 facilities.”
To address the issue, Mahama called for a more structured approach to the project. He has directed the Minister for Health to propose a way forward and mentioned that his administration is open to exploring public-private partnerships and franchising as potential solutions to complete and operationalize the hospitals.
“I have directed the Minister for Health to present us with a way forward for this program. We are also open to public-private partnerships and franchising to complete and operationalize these hospitals,” Mahama concluded.
