Ghana government spends over $1 billion on health – Minister
The Minister of Health, says government is spending more than one billion dollars on key health infrastructure projects aimed at increasing health care delivery and accessibility for more people.
“This underscores the importance the government places on health care. Upon completion of these projects, it is expected that about 60 per cent of the population will get access to quality health care.
“Under the various ongoing programmes, sub-urban Ghana is expected to benefit from 15 facilities, stretching from Garu-Tempane in the Upper East Region to Madina in Ga East in the Greater Accra Region,” the Minister said.
Mr Agyemang-Mensah was speaking at a meeting with stakeholders made up of project managers at the Capital Investment Management Unit (CIMU) of the Ministry of Health and project contractors who are engaged by the Ministry to construct various health infrastructure in Accra.
The CIMU is mandated to coordinate the management of all projects awarded by the Ministry to successful completion. The Unit coordinates issues on planning, budgeting, civil works/equipment delivery and human resource training.
Mr Agyeman-Mensah said the CIMU had always played the coordination role and management of infrastructure programmes effectively since its formation in 2002 and under its guidance, the Ministry had initiated, procured and completed several projects.
He explained that effective capital investment management is the key to the success of providing health care infrastructure to the health care delivery and so all project and construction managers should to liaise effectively with CIMU to push “our infrastructure agenda to the level where all Ghanaians can get easy access to affordable and quality healthcare in a properly designed medical environment”.
Mr Ben Ampomah Nkansah, Head of Capital Investment Management Unit and Projects Coordinator, said in the course of the year the Health Ministry completed and handed over five polyclinics in Nkrankwanta, Wamfie, Kwatre, Bomaa and Techimatia in the Brong Ahafo region.
He said the phase II of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, an eye centre at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, water improvement projects in health facilities in Brong Ahafo, Northern and upper East Regions and the Cobalt and Simulator installation and retrofitting works in Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye, among others, have all been completed and handed over.
Mr Nkansah said for 2015, main target projects to be completed would include the District Hospital at Bekwai, the new Maternity Facility at the Tema General Hospital, the University of Ghana Teaching Hospital as well as the construction of 400 CHPS compounds across the country.
He said the Dodowa District Hospital and six others are about 70 per cent completed.
Source: GNA