Govt diverting dedicated Agenda 111 funds – Dr Amin

The Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament and a former Minister for Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has accused the government of diverting funds allocated for the Agenda 111 hospital projects.
Speaking during the approval of the estimates for the 2025 budget statement in Parliament, Dr Amin Adam expressed concerns over what he described as the government’s lack of commitment to the initiative.
He argued that diverting these funds could significantly delay the completion of the hospitals, which are crucial for improving healthcare access across the country.

Broken promises on healthcare infrastructure
“This government assured Ghanaians that it would continue and complete all ongoing government projects, including Agenda 111, yet funds allocated for these critical projects are being redirected elsewhere,” Dr Amin Adam stated.
He questioned why the government was failing to honour its financial commitments to the initiative despite repeated promises to prioritise healthcare infrastructure.
According to him, such actions undermine public trust and cast doubt on the government’s ability to complete the hospitals within the projected timeframe.

Concerns over alternative funding plan
Dr Amin Adam also criticised the Minister for Finance for suggesting that Agenda 111 projects would be realigned for funding under the Big Push Initiative.
He argued that the initiative itself is underfunded by $1.7 billion this year, making it an unreliable alternative for financing the hospitals.
“Where exactly are these funds being channelled, and why is there no clear explanation to Parliament and the public?” he asked.

Call for immediate action
Dr Amin Adam urged the government to restore the diverted funds immediately and ensure the timely completion of the hospitals.
He stressed that communities in urgent need of healthcare facilities should not suffer due to financial mismanagement and lack of transparency.
“The government must act now to restore confidence in its commitment to healthcare development,” he concluded.

104 district hospitals
This initiative aims to enhance the country’s healthcare system by constructing 104 district hospitals, seven regional hospitals, two regional psychiatric hospitals, and a new national psychiatric hospital in Accra.

Construction was ongoing on 96 of the projects, which were at various stages of completion before the Akufo-Addo government exited office.
Once completed, these facilities could employ over 60,000 healthcare personnel.
The government has already disbursed more than $312 million to contractors working on the sites as of July 17, 2024.

Project overview and regional distribution
The Agenda 111 Project includes the construction of 101 district hospitals, each with a 100-bed capacity, six regional hospitals with 160 beds, and one regional hospital in the Western Region.
Additionally, two 90-bed psychiatric hospitals will be built in Kumasi and Tamale.
The project also involves the rehabilitation of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and the redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

Regional distribution
The regional distribution of district hospitals is as follows: Ashanti (10), Volta (9), Eastern (8), Greater Accra (7), Upper East (7), Oti (5), Upper West (5), Bono (5), Western North (5), Savanna (3), Bono East (2), and North East (2). Each hospital will also have accompanying staff accommodations.

Addressing healthcare inequality
This massive investment seeks to address the uneven distribution of healthcare infrastructure and position Ghana as a healthcare leader in the sub-region.
The projects are categorized into three phases: “Category A” projects, which are 70% or more complete; “Category B” projects, with 50% to 70% completion; and “Category C” projects, which are less than 50% complete.