Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the current government to complete and operationalise all stalled Agenda 111 hospital projects initiated during his administration to significantly boost healthcare delivery across the country.
The Agenda 111 initiative was designed to construct 111 hospitals nationwide, including district and regional facilities, to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly in underserved areas.
Speaking over the weekend at the launch of the Kyebi Government Hospital’s centenary celebrations, organised by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional State and the hospital authorities, the former President stressed that healthcare infrastructure development should not be politicised.
“We must also be honest, not every project was realised, not every project was completed. At some facilities, we reached advanced stages that could not be finished before our term ended. Agenda 111 must be continued. Continuity, not disruption, is how health systems succeed,” he said.
Akufo-Addo emphasised the importance of sustaining national development projects beyond changes in government, noting that completing the Agenda 111 hospitals would enhance healthcare quality and accessibility for Ghanaians.
The Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, also used the occasion to highlight challenges at the 100-year-old Kyebi Government Hospital. He called for the retooling of the facility and urged all stakeholders to collaborate in improving healthcare in the area.
“I am not the only one frustrated but the nurses and doctors over there are equally frustrated. 100 years later, there is no scan machine in Kyebi Hospital, there is no quality laboratory in Kyebi Hospital,” he bemoaned.
Speaking to the media after the event, the Medical Superintendent of the Kyebi Government Hospital, Dr Isaac Adu-Opoku Antwi, echoed concerns about inadequate infrastructure. He noted that children are currently sharing wards with pregnant women, which affects the quality of care.
Dr Adu-Opoku Antwi appealed to the government to construct a maternity block, a children’s block, a physiotherapy unit, and bungalows for health workers to address these pressing needs.
The centenary celebration also served as a platform to mobilise support for the upgrading of the historic hospital, which continues to serve communities in the Eastern Region despite its ageing infrastructure.
Agenda 111 remains one of the flagship healthcare projects of the previous NPP administration, aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in hospital infrastructure nationwide.