The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, has revealed that the long-delayed 500-bed Military Hospital project at Afari in the Ashanti Region is currently only about 60% complete, attributing the prolonged stagnation largely to mismanagement and neglect during the previous NPP administration.
The project, which was initiated under former President John Dramani Mahama in March 2014 with a sod-cutting ceremony, was originally valued at approximately $180 million and scheduled for completion within 42 months, by 2018. However, 12 years later, the facility remains incomplete and non-operational.
According to the Deputy Minister, by January 2017, civil and architectural works had reached 90% completion, with overall project progress standing at 57%. When the NPP government assumed office in 2017, the contractor had abandoned the site, and no meaningful work was ongoing.
“The contractor is demanding outstanding payments of $7 million (Claim 1) and $78 million (Claim 2) before returning to site, even though the previous regime claimed to have settled all obligations and refused further payment,” the statement noted.
Compounding the situation, medical equipment imported for the project was reportedly abandoned at the port, leading to heavy demurrage charges, with some equipment eventually auctioned off, a situation described by the deputy minister as a tragic waste of state resources. He revealed that some of the equipment that reached the site has suffered theft, vandalism, or expiry of warranties.
He stated that the overall completion currently stands at 60%, with civil and architectural works advanced to 97%. However, biomedical and mechanical installations remain critically low at just 5%. The project site has been placed under the protection of the Ghana Armed Forces following multiple incidents of theft.
The Ministry of Defence has since re-engaged the contractor, is reviewing the contract terms, and is assessing available medical equipment in the country to fast-track completion. All persons have been advised to seek proper authorization before accessing the site.
“While we work tirelessly to salvage this project and deliver the hospital to the Ghana Armed Forces and the people of Ashanti, let us be spared the provocations of those who slept on a 3-year project for 8 years. The facts speak for themselves,” he stated in response to recent criticism from Minority MPs who visited the site.
The Afari Military Hospital was intended to ease pressure on major facilities like the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi. Its prolonged delay has become a major political talking point, with the current administration accusing its predecessor of administrative bottlenecks and financial mismanagement, while the opposition continues to pressure the government to expedite completion and operationalisation.
The Ministry assured that efforts are underway to bring the project to fruition, though no firm new completion date has been publicly confirmed in the latest statement.