At long last, some assurance is being demonstrated on the part of the government for the construction of a new regional hospital for the Western Region. The promise of getting the region a befitting regional hospital has been lip-service by previous governments until yesterday when Parliament approved a €214,388,582 Term Loan Facility for construction of a new regional hospital for the Western Region.
This amount will cover the rehabilitation of the existing Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital. The Akufo-Addo government made a promise to the region to build a new hospital to enhance health services. For two consecutive times, Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta has made insertions of this project in the budget statement, giving an indication of an intention to get it executed.
The Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital is one of the oldest health facilities in Ghana. It was built along with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, however, due to neglect it had remained one of the most impoverished.
Until last year, under new management, the facility was left to decay.
At the announcement by President Nana Addo some two months ago of the ‘Agenda 111’ hospital project, the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital featured strongly for rehabilitation and expansion, and the new hospital was not left out.
Sharing the exciting news, Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer said the promise is gradually being realized. He noted that these projects are rewarding for the Western Region, and thus trust the Region would once vote massively for Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party, come December 7.
Already, the NPP has thirteen (13) out seventeen (17) Parliamentary Seats in the Western Region. The party is targeting to take over two more constituencies from the NDC.