DDEP responsible for La General Hospital reconstruction delay— Okoe Boye

The Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has said that the reconstruction of the La General Hospital was delayed due to the impact of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

The government has faced backlash for not rebuilding the hospital, which was demolished in 2020.

Addressing the media in Accra, Dr Okoe-Boye explained that the DDEP disrupted the government’s plans for the project.

“Because of the debt exchange programme, many finance houses, when we got into the global financial crisis, pulled away from the arrangements and that is why La General stalled.

“President Akufo-Addo called the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and said if the debt exchange will slow it, we will have to find money to pay from GoG and I am happy to announce that La General now is being built from the coffers of the government of Ghana with our taxpayers money at a cost of €50 million.’

The La General Hospital was demolished in July 2020 due to what authorities said were severe structural problems reported by the hospital’s administration.

Following the demolition of the health facility, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the commencement of construction of the La General Hospital Redevelopment Project on August 10, 2020.

After several years of complaints from the public and key stakeholders, the reconstruction of the ultra-modern facility began in January 2024.

The project is an ultra-modern standard feature with a 160-bed capacity and a residential block to serve as an accommodation for key hospital staff.

According to the project manager, Mr Richard Nii Dadey, the facility, which is now about 20 per cent completed and should be completed in 28 months, will include a mortuary, a surgical ward, an outpatient department (OPD), and many other conveniences.

“The government is funding the project 100 per cent, and with the experience, we got from the first certificate that was paid within time, we concluded that funds were available for the completion of a quality project.”