President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to the swift completion and operationalization of the Sewua Hospital in the Ashanti Region.
The Sewua Hospital has been at the centre of political and contractual controversies. Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the facility before leaving office, a move that was criticised by the project's contractor, Euroget De-Invest S.A. The contractor argued that the hospital was not ready for commissioning, as key components of the project remained incomplete.
This premature commissioning sparked a public outcry and raised questions about the government’s commitment to delivering fully operational healthcare infrastructure.
Speaking at the first Akwasidae celebration of the year, held at the Manhyia Palace on Sunday, January 19, President Mahama outlined his administration's plans to tackle the pressing challenges confronting the 250-bed facility.
The President underscored the significance of the Sewua Hospital in alleviating the heavy patient load at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the region's premier healthcare institution. He highlighted KATH’s pivotal role in serving not just the Ashanti Region but also neighboring areas, noting that the facility is currently operating beyond its capacity and urgently requires upgrades.
President Mahama explained that the completion of the Sewua Hospital would enable the transfer of patients from KATH, paving the way for essential infrastructure renovations at the teaching hospital without disrupting its vital services.
He assured the gathering that his government remains focused on improving healthcare access and infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the region.
“The Sewua Hospital is not operational because there is no electricity, there is no water, and the road to the hospital has not been constructed. I wish to assure you that we will tackle it immediately and make sure that we can open the doors of that hospital so that it will ease the pressure on Komfo Anokye.
“We need to move some of the patients from Komfo Anokye to Sewua so that we can empty the infrastructure in Komfo Anokye and do the necessary renovations. It is difficult to do the renovations of Komfo Anokye when the hospital is working at full capacity.”