The 509-bed Mother and Baby Unit designed to save the lives of mothers and babies is gathering dust at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), as contractors have yet again suspended construction for 14 months over unpaid arrears.
Despite millions of dollars invested, the facility remains incomplete, with some procured materials now deteriorating and warranties expiring.
Parliamentary Committee on Health is raising concerns over the prolonged delay, warning against the waste of taxpayers’ money as expectant mothers wait for a facility intended to transform maternal and child healthcare in the Ashanti Region and beyond.
Expectant mothers in the Ashanti Region and beyond were anticipating a sigh of relief when contractors commenced construction of the mother and baby unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The building was expected to have been completed within three (3) years of its initiation in 2019 after demolition of the original 44-year-old block.
However, construction works have suffered intermittent setbacks, with the project now exceeding its intended timelines.
Parliament Select Committee on Health inspected the facility as part of its working visit to the region’s largest referral hospital.
The abandoned structure is now approximately 70 per cent complete but remains suspended for about 14 months over non-payment of Interim Payment Certificates to the contractor.
Project Consultant Emmanuel Fobi Asabre noted that the project had experienced two major suspensions, with the first lasting approximately 18 months, following which work resumed steadily before the new suspension.
“The first suspension came during the domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP). We worked for another 12 months when we resumed work after the first suspension. Now, we have suspended again over the non-payment of IPCs to the contractor,” he noted.
The hospital project was initially estimated at a budgetary allocation of $138.5 million, but the prolonged suspensions had resulted in additional costs.
The physical construction is currently 56 per cent complete, with procurements standing at 75 per cent while demolition of the entire old block has been completed.
The suspension has since affected the state of some procured materials and installations for the facility, with others losing their insurance warranties.
“Some materials have already expired. Although we can apply for revalidation for others that have expired, the new timeline for resumption is preventing us from engaging the manufacturers for another validation. The ones that have been damaged have been removed out of site,” he said.
Member of Parliament for Obuasi East, who is Deputy Ranking Member on the Committee, Dr. Patrick Boakye Yiadom, expressed disappointment at the prolonged delay in completing the maternity and children’s facility.
Describing the state of the project as a “sad spectacle”, Dr. Boakye Yiadom stressed that a facility intended to provide healthcare for mothers and children must not remain incomplete for such an extended period.
“This is a sad spectacle. A hospital that is supposed to provide healthcare for mothers and children. For good 50 years, we’ve not seen the hospital. We must make good use of the taxpayers’ money. I don’t see why this project is standing aloof at this time,” he noted.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, said the construction difficulties confronting the project highlighted a broader challenge affecting public infrastructure development across the country.
“The principle is clear: we must not continue to initiate projects without ensuring that adequate resources are available to complete them. They come and inspect as usual. If you raise your certificates, we will look for the money and pay. We are raising the money locally to finance the project,” he said.
He continued: “The contractors don’t give up. It’s just a matter of sitting down and having common denominator”.