At a Government Accountability Series session held at the Jubilee House on July 18, 2025, Ghana’s Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, declared the government’s unwavering resolve to strengthen the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and ensure that “no community will be left behind in the journey to deliver quality health services”. Addressing a gathering of senior officials and development partners, he underscored that constructing health facilities and equipping them with modern medical tools is foundational to improving healthcare delivery across every region of the country.
Minister Akandoh outlined a portfolio of key projects inherited by the current administration, spanning Treatment and Holding Centres in Koforidua, Goaso, and Asawinso, to Infectious Disease Training Centres at Pantang and Nkenkasu, as well as turnkey rehabilitation works at Effia Nkwanta Hospital, La General Hospital, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Maternity Block, and the Central Medical Stores reconstruction. He further highlighted the rapid completion of four major COVID-19 response initiatives—treatment centres and staff accommodations funded jointly by the government and the World Bank—across the country in the last six months, illustrating the administration’s capacity to deliver on urgent health priorities.
Turning to the ambitious Agenda 111 initiative, which envisages the construction of 111 new healthcare facilities nationwide, Minister Akandoh affirmed that the government will “prioritise the completion of projects that are more than 80% complete,” signaling a pragmatic focus on tangible, near-term outcomes rather than starting new undertakings from scratch. He stressed that this approach reflects the administration’s clear resolve to accelerate access to quality infrastructure without diverting scarce resources from projects on the verge of fruition.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the Minister emphasized the importance of equipping existing hospitals with life-saving machinery. He announced that the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s Maternity and Children’s Block, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, and LEKMA Hospital have all received vital equipment—including ventilators and oxygen plants—and affirmed that “these are the tools we need to save lives every day”. Such upgrades, he argued, are indispensable to sustaining emergency response capabilities and improving survival rates for critical patients.
Despite these achievements, Minister Akandoh candidly acknowledged persistent challenges within the healthcare system. “There are still gaps. Many facilities need renovations, new equipment, and dependable maintenance systems,” he admitted, committing the government to bridge these shortfalls through a combination of domestic investment and strategic international partnerships, primarily via Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). This frank recognition of structural weaknesses underlines a shift toward more transparent governance and collaborative problem-solving.
In a decisive move to expand primary care, the Minister revealed that funding has been released to every district assembly to support the construction of at least two new Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds each year. He maintained that “notwithstanding these challenges, we remain resolute” and asserted that bringing quality services
closer to communities is central to the government’s vision for a healthier Ghana from the ground up. By deploying resources directly to district assemblies, the administration aims to shore up the CHPS network which forms the bedrock of rural healthcare delivery and alleviate pressure on overcrowded hospitals in urban centres. Minister Akandoh articulated that “this investment brings quality health services closer to communities and shows our government’s dedication to building a stronger, healthier Ghana from the ground”, highlighting the equity dimension of the infrastructure drive.
The Government Accountability Series itself serves as a platform for ministers to update citizens on sectoral performance and to invite public scrutiny of policy implementation. In leveraging this forum, Minister Akandoh demonstrated a commitment to open dialogue and continuous improvement, ensuring that health sector ambitions remain grounded in measurable progress and community impact.
Source: Health Minister vows to complete health projects across Ghana – MyJoyOnline
