Total cost of Agenda 111 hospitals is $7.65bn

The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has revealed that the government will spend $7.65 billion to complete the Ghana Priority Health Infrastructure Projects, commonly known as the “Agenda 111 Project.” ‘
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.

Project status and employment opportunities
As of now, construction is ongoing on 96 of these projects, which are at various stages of completion.
Once finished, these facilities will 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 and phase breakdown
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.

Other major health infrastructure projects
Dr. Okoe-Boye highlighted other key infrastructure projects, such as the La General Hospital, which was demolished in 2022 due to structural issues and is being replaced with a €50 million ultra-modern facility.
Other ongoing projects include a 101-bed Urology Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the rehabilitation of Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (€90 million), and the construction of new hospitals in Koforidua, Apemanim, Bolgatanga, Kyebi, and Fomena.

Expansion of health facilities and personnel employment
The government has also completed 250 Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and 400 health centers across the country since 2017.
Regarding healthcare personnel, the government has employed over 21,000 since 2017, averaging 3,000 hires annually.

Exporting surplus nurses
Ghana is currently training more nurses than required, with 55,000 nurses graduating each year.
The government is in discussions with Germany, Seychelles, the UK, and Jamaica to export nurses to those countries.
A third batch of nurses will soon depart for Barbados under a bilateral agreement.
The minister suggested negotiating with beneficiary countries to secure at least 5% of the nurses’ salaries to support training more nurses in Ghana.

Medical drone delivery expansion
To improve healthcare delivery in remote areas, the government will also construct two additional medical drone delivery centers to ensure timely delivery of medicines and blood products.

A transformative vision for ghana’s healthcare
The Agenda 111 Project represents a groundbreaking opportunity to transform Ghana’s healthcare system, ensuring that every district and region has access to quality healthcare services.
This initiative supports the government’s commitment to universal healthcare and aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3).
It will be the largest healthcare infrastructure investment in Ghana since independence, setting a new standard for healthcare on the continent.