Agenda 111 hospitals: My vision is to make Ghana West Africa’s Medical Hub by 2030 — Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo has said his vision is to help make Ghana the Centre of Excellence for Medical Care in West Africa by 2030 with his Agenda 111 hospital initiative.

He noted that his government will leverage on Ghana’s favourable status in the Region as the most peaceful country in West Africa, a beacon of democracy on the continent, and a land of opportunities.

“This we will achieve by investing more in the development of our healthcare infrastructure, mapping our regional health facilities to specialisations, as well as upgrading selected facilities in our regional and teaching hospitals into world class standards. India and South Africa have shown the way in this regard.”

President said this on Tuesday, 17^th August 2021 when he cut the sod for the commencement of Agenda 111, which he has described as the biggest ever investment in the nation’s healthcare sector is being made.

To this end, President Akufo-Addo explained that, during his first term in office, a programme to revitalise health care infrastructure in Ghana’s premier hospitals was put in place.

“Investments were made at the Korlebu Teaching Hospital in Accra to build a new four hundred-bed Maternity and Gynaecology Block, and a new one hundred-bed Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence. Government will build on this foundation, and include two additional projects, currently in the planning stage, namely, the Trauma and Acute Pain Centre and a new Surgical Services Block with modern in-patient facilities. These major investments in the Korlebu Teaching Hospital will contribute to its transformation into a modern world-class teaching hospital,” he said.

The President continued, “Further investments are being made at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, beginning with the new five hundred and fifty (550) bed Maternity and Children Block. Specialised centres for infectious diseases, orthopaedics, cancer treatment, cardiovascular health, specialist eyecare, amongst others, will be assigned to some of the Regional Hospitals, including those to be constructed under Agenda 111.”

Whilst upgrading these facilities, he stated that Government will invest in medical education and training of the nation’s health personnel, including expanding the use of IT for medical diagnosis and treatment in the Agenda 111 healthcare facilities being developed.

This network of primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities, he stressed, will form the backbone of the vision to make Ghana the leading health care destination in West Africa.

“It is envisioned, under a Public Private Partnership, that the Ghana Medical Corps, a volunteer corps of medical specialists which will tap into the skills and resources of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians locally and abroad, using IT and telemedicine to support the delivery of health care and training, will be established by 2023. This will offer, in particular, to Ghanaian medical experts resident outside Ghana, the opportunity to give back to their motherland in ways that will support and expand healthcare delivery,” he added.

All these programmes, collectively, according to the President, will position Ghana as a leading medical travel destination in West Africa, with the potential to add some two billion dollars (US$2billion) to the nation’s GDP by 2030, and, in the process, create some fifty thousand (50,000) jobs in the sector.