Okoe Boye urges action on stalled Agenda 111 hospitals

Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye is calling on the Ministry of Health to provide a clear update on the status of hospitals under the Agenda 111 initiative, expressing concern over what he describes as a worrying lack of progress.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, the former Health Minister and current CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority said many of the hospital projects started under the previous government have stalled, leaving communities without access to essential healthcare.

He singled out the La General Hospital as a key example. Once envisioned as a vital facility to ease the burden on Accra’s overstretched hospitals, its construction has come to a halt.

Dr. Okoe Boye said the hospital was meant to support Ridge, Police, Lekma, and Korle Bu hospitals, but now stands unfinished.

“Sometimes when you go to Korle Bu, even to sit on a wheelchair, you can’t get space, and yet we have this strategic facility lying idle,” he said.

He questioned the government’s claim of allocating GH¢130 million for the hospital’s completion, noting that the 2025 budget only earmarked GH¢60 million and that no funds have been disbursed since March.

Dr. Okoe Boye urged the Health Minister to escalate the matter to President Mahama and his Cabinet, stressing the need for immediate funding and stakeholder engagement with communities in La, Teshie, and Nungua.

He also raised concerns about the treatment of nurses, citing recent protests over unpaid salaries, and called for greater respect and support for healthcare workers.