Kwahu Abetifi Residents hit street over abandoned hospital project 

Concerned Citizens of Kwahu Abetifi, the District capital of Kwahu East District in the Eastern Region of Ghana, on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, hit the street of Abetifi, the district capital to register their displeasure over an abandoned District hospital left to rot over five years now. 

The abandoned Abetifi Hospital is part of the six new District Hospital John Mahama-led NDC government was constructing under a $175 million contract signed with NMS Infrastructure LTD of the United Kingdom in 2012.

The other beneficiary districts were Kumawu, Fomena and Garu-Timpane, Dodowa District Hospital, and Somanya. While some of the hospitals have been completed, others have been abandoned.

The demonstration which saw a lot of Kwahu Abetifi residents came out in their numbers follows several complaints about the neglect by the government of the hospital project for many years.

The convener of the group, Godwin Ntiamoah, who addressed the media said, all efforts made to call the government’s attention to the project have proved futile.

“About six years ago, we had this hospital up to this stage, but up till date, they have not been able to complete it, our chiefs and elders in the community have spoken several times about this project to the authorities but the government has turn death years to our concerns so we the citizens of Kwahu East are simply saying that the government should come and complete the project.

We can’t sit down and watch a building worth one hundred and seventy-five thousand US dollars to go waste”. The convener emphasized.

“A building that was in its completing stage the building was roofed, look at how dilapidated the building has turned into, currently, the building has become a habitat for animals and weeds. Why should we waste the taxpayer’s money? We voted and what we deserve should be given to us. 

Historically, we the Kwahu people have not demonstrated before, because we don’t depend on the government, we work hard and do developmental projects by our self, God has blessed the Kwahu people already.

However, we are talking about a health issue here; once you eat you can fall ill. We are not doing politics here; this is not a matter of NPP, NDC”.

The demonstrators issued an ultimatum that “we are giving the government from today 21st September 2021 an additional eighteen (18) months to complete the project else, 2024 we won’t vote.

"The reason why we are giving the government 18 months is that the project is almost completed and it should take the government less than 18 months to complete it. The project started in 2015 and they should have been completed in 2016 but now it has taken almost 7 years why is it because we kept mute on the project? Why should the government do such a thing to the Kwahu People?”

The group presented their petition to the Chief of Abetifi, Akyemfuor Asiedu Agyemang II, who doubles as Adontenhene of Kwahu Traditional Area.

The Abetifihene endorsed the demonstration stating that it is disheartening how the hospital project has been abandoned depriving the area of quality healthcare. He pledged to forward the petition to the appropriate quarters.

According to him, all assurance by the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Acheampong and Bryan Acheampong has not materialized.

William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent