£35m Hospital Becomes White Elephant

A £35 million hospital, virtually ready for use has been standing idle since June 2001 when the project was completed. The state of the art hospital located in Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region has dental and eye clinics, laboratories and operating theatres, a modern physiotherapy unit, obstetrics and gynecology unit.

There is also an incinerator to cater for the hospital’s disposables, a 42-body capacity mortuary, a sewerage treatment plant and other facilities. In addition, a huge generator and boreholes have been provided for the hospital to fall back on, in case the external sources of water and electricity fail.

At a short meeting between the project contractors International Hospitals Group (IHG) and the Director General of Ghana Health Service, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, it emerged that the government was at fault for the hospital not being staffed.

The IHG Country Director, Neil Ashurst said there has not been any advice from the Ministry of Health as to when the staff would be brought for training. He revealed that the government had not fulfilled her part of the contractual agreement to equip part of the hospital.

He said it is costing the company $6,000 a month on electricity and security whilst the hospital is not being used.

Prof Akosa said he was saddened that the hospital is lying idle. He promised to ensure that the administration and Out-Patients Department (OPD) blocks is opened to the public by August, this year.