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President Akufo-Addo’s outlines achievements in Healthcare Infrastructure
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during his acceptance speech for an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), highlighted the significant achievements of his administration in the healthcare sector.
With a total expenditure of over GH¢33 billion, the Akufo-Addo government has made remarkable strides in improving healthcare infrastructure across Ghana.
The President detailed the numerous healthcare projects completed under his administration, emphasizing the construction and equipping of polyclinics, hospitals, and specialized treatment centers.
These projects have been crucial in addressing the healthcare needs of various regions and improving the overall quality of healthcare services in the country.
“We have successfully constructed and equipped ten polyclinics in the Central Region, located in Ajumaku Bisease, Gomoa Dawurampong, Biriwa, Etsii Sunkwa, Binpong Egya, Gyamera, Mankrong, Akonfude, Ekumfi Naakwa, and Gomoa Potsin,” President Akufo-Addo announced.
He added that these facilities were completed and commissioned in August 2018, marking a significant step forward in regional healthcare.
In the Greater Accra Region, five polyclinics have been constructed and completed in Ogbojo (Adentan), Ashaiman, Bortianor, Oduman, and Sege, commissioned for use in May 2019.
The President also highlighted the completion of a nationwide TB case detection programme in August 2018, benefiting 48 facilities with essential equipment.
Additionally, the major rehabilitation and upgrade of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Phase II, completed and handed over in February 2019, have significantly boosted healthcare delivery in the Northern Region.
“We have constructed ten treatment and holding centers, with two of these facilities located in Aflao and Keta, here in the Volta Region,” President Akufo-Addo mentioned, emphasizing the comprehensive approach his administration has taken in addressing healthcare needs across the country.
Moreover, the President detailed the construction of regional and district hospitals by the Egyptian company, Euroget.
Notable among these projects are the Wa Regional Hospital, commissioned in August 2019, the Ga East Municipal Hospital (Kwabenya) in November 2019, and the Nsawkaw, Tepa, Twifo-Praso, and Konongo District Hospitals, commissioned between 2021 and 2022. These facilities have greatly enhanced healthcare services in their respective regions.
The Bekwai District Hospital, commissioned in November 2020, is currently operational, serving the people of Bekwai. The University of Ghana Medical Centre (Phase II), commissioned on 24th December 2021, has boosted medical research and treatment capabilities.
Additionally, district hospitals and polyclinics in Sawla, Tolon, Somanya, Buipe, Wheta, and Bamboi were completed and handed over in February 2021, augmenting primary healthcare across various communities.
The President also mentioned the expansion of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services at both Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, enhancing cancer treatment capabilities.
District hospitals and integrated IT systems in Dodowa, Fomena, and Kumawu were completed and commissioned as of July 2024, further modernizing healthcare infrastructure.
Several projects have been completed and are awaiting commissioning, including public health facilities in the Western Region, the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital Phase III, and twelve district hospitals in the Eastern, Ashanti, Ahafo, and Greater Accra Regions.
The Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and various treatment and holding centers are also in the final stages.
Ongoing projects slated for completion by December 2024 include additional treatment and holding centers, staff accommodation at Dodowa, refurbishment of Effia Nkwanta research laboratory, and a paediatric clinic in Weija-Gbawe municipality.
The government is also constructing a training facility for the National Ambulance Service at Nkenkasu in the Ashanti Region and equipping the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Maternity and Children’s Block.
Furthermore, the President highlighted the Agenda 111 initiative, which aims to provide 101 standard 100-bed district hospitals, six new regional hospitals, and two psychiatric hospitals at an estimated cost of $1.765 billion.
The average completion rate of the ongoing Agenda 111 projects is 65%, with some sites nearing 80% completion.
He noted that these projects are being undertaken by indigenous Ghanaian contractors, providing direct and indirect jobs to Ghanaians.
Upon completion, the Agenda 111 hospitals will employ approximately 67,635 people, significantly boosting employment in the healthcare sector.
In addition to infrastructure development, the Akufo-Addo government has recruited 202,527 medical personnel since 2017, including doctors, nurses, support staff, pharmacists, medical herbalists, and allied health professionals.
The National Health Insurance Scheme has also seen a resurgence, with active membership increasing from 10.6 million in 2016 to 17.9 million at the end of 2023.
“Our work is far from complete. We are committed to continuing our efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country, with the ultimate goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030,” President Akufo-Addo affirmed.
The President’s speech highlighted the significant progress made in healthcare infrastructure under his administration, reflecting a commitment to ensuring access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians and laying the groundwork for a brighter, healthier future.
THE Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called on traditional authorities, religious leaders and community influencers to stop shielding perpetrators of gender-based violence and allow the law to work.
She said too many cases were being buried at the community level, with abusers protected while victims were pressured into silence. This, she stressed, must end.
Dr Lartey made the call on Tuesday at the national launch of the 2025, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, held at the Kaneshie Main Station in Accra.
This year’s campaign, observed globally from November 25 to December 10, is on the theme: ‘Unite! End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls.’
It highlights rising incidents of cyberbullying, online stalking, image-based exploitation and other forms of technology-facilitated abuse that disproportionately affect women and girls.
The minister urged the media to use their platforms to condemn abuse and intensify education, noting that no person should “die in silence’’ in a society that values dignity, equality and the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
She also encouraged women, girls, men and boys to report any form of abuse, assuring the public that support services were available to all, regardless of age or social status.
Dr Lartey described gender-based violence as one of the most pervasive human rights violations in Ghana. She referenced a 2016 Domestic Violence Survey showing that 27.7 per cent of Ghanaian women have experienced domestic violence, as well as a 2014 Demographic and Health Survey which revealed that 32 per cent of girls aged 15–24 believe wife beating was justified—an indication of harmful societal norms.
Calling the situation “unfortunate and sad,” she stressed that the nation must dismantle cultural beliefs that excuse or normalise violence.
Outlining government actions, Dr Lartey announced that Cabinet has approved the revised National Domestic Violence Policy, while the updated Domestic Abuse Bill and its Legislative Instrument were being finalised by the Attorney-General’s Department.
She also disclosed plans to operationalise a national shelter in Accra and begin constructing the 16 regional shelters promised to strengthen protection systems for survivors.
Additionally, the ministry has trained 200 market leaders as paralegals and 100 professionals, including psychologists, medical workers and legal experts, to support victims with referrals and counselling.
UNFPA Country Representative, Dr David Wilfred Ochan, reaffirmed the agency’s support for Ghana’s efforts. He unveiled a nationwide initiative titled “16 Stations, 16 Routes, 16 Destinations,” which will use the country’s public transport system to raise awareness on gender-based violence.
In partnership with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the initiative will promote stickers, public announcements, training and codes of conduct to ensure that transport stations become safe spaces where commuters, traders, porters and young people can access information and hotline services to report or prevent abuse.
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CHILD Rights International (CRI) is urging the government to adopt a firm and comprehensive national policy to safeguard the religious rights of students in secondary schools, insisting that no child should be denied education or the freedom to express their faith.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Accra, the organisation said the recent controversy involving Wesley Girls’ Senior High School highlights deep-seated gaps in how children’s rights were upheld within the country’s long-standing educational structures.
According to CRI, the incident underscores the need for Ghana to reassess the relationship between school traditions and the constitutional rights of students.
The group emphasised that the right to education and the right to religious expression were fundamental, and must be reflected consistently in rules and practices across all schools.
Additionally, CRI noted that many well-known mission institutions such as Holy Child School and St. Louis Senior High School operate on religious foundations that have shaped their administrative cultures for decades.
These differ significantly from state-established schools like Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua, Tamale Senior High School and Achimota Senior High School.
This contrast, CRI argued, raises an important national question and what policy framework has guided these mission schools since their incorporation into the public system?
Although the government has declared all such schools secular, they continue to function as government-assisted institutions, maintaining a hybrid structure that leaves them neither fully autonomous nor entirely under the Ghana Education Service (GES).
This unclear arrangement has led to inconsistent rules on discipline, conduct and religious expression from one school to another.
CRI warned that the absence of a unified and enforceable national policy leaves significant gaps in the protection of children’s rights.
While rights may be universal, the group emphasised that their protection depends on strong and clearly defined state regulations.
The organisation further stated that the State has yet to assume full regulatory authority over the schools it supports financially. As a result, key administrative and disciplinary decisions often remain at the discretion of individual school authorities, creating uneven standards nationwide.
For the rights of children, particularly their right to practise their religion to be fully realised, CRI believes the government must move toward full regulatory ownership of all schools it funds or classifies as public.
Without this, tensions between deeply rooted school traditions and constitutional freedoms are likely to persist.
The statement stressed that once a school admits a student, it takes responsibility not only for their academic development but also for respecting their identity, including their religious background. Therefore, no child, CRI insists, should be prevented from practicing their faith within the school environment.
Moreover, the organisation called for the establishment of clear national standards that guide schools on accommodating religious expression without compromising discipline or institutional order.
It also urged the government to strengthen safeguarding systems with firm oversight and routine monitoring to ensure that children’s rights are protected based on national law, not historical customs or administrative discretion.
CRI admonished the government to clarify the official status of government-assisted mission schools to ensure that the rights of all students are upheld consistently across the country.
By Spectator Reporter
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