The Parliamentary Select Committee on Health has inspected work on the ongoing Maternity and Children’s Block project at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to assess its progress and engage stakeholders on measures to facilitate its completion.
The inspection, led by the Committee’s Chairman, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, focused on the current state of the project and the challenges affecting the timely completion of the facility.
The Project Manager, Emmanuel Fobi Asabre, briefing the Committee, said work on the project had been suspended because of outstanding payments owed to the contractor.
He said before the suspension, procurement of materials and equipment for the project had reached 75 per cent, while physical construction stood at 56 per cent.
Mr. Asabre explained that the project had experienced two major suspensions, largely due to delays in settling claims submitted by the contractor.
The interruptions, he said, had contributed to delays and additional costs, while raising concerns about the validity of warranties and the condition of some materials procured for the project.
Despite the challenges, he said the contractor had continued to maintain the site during the suspension periods.
He added that essential materials and equipment, including air-conditioning systems, electrical components and building façade materials, had already been procured and were being stored pending the resumption of construction.
Mr. Asabre said the contractor was awaiting the settlement of outstanding payments and further engagements with relevant stakeholders to return to the site and continue work.
The Chief Executive Officer of the KATH, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, underscored the importance of the project to the hospital’s efforts to expand and strengthen specialised maternal and paediatric healthcare services.
He said the facility represented a significant investment in the future of healthcare delivery at the hospital, particularly for mothers, children and families who depended on KATH for specialised medical care.
Dr Baidoo stressed the need for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to resolve the outstanding issues and facilitate the resumption and eventual completion of the project.
Dr Nawaane described the Maternity and Children’s Block as an important healthcare infrastructure project whose completion would significantly improve maternal and child healthcare delivery at the hospital.
He said the Committee recognised the importance of the facility to KATH and the numerous patients who relied on its services.
“From the update provided, it is clear that substantial work has gone into the project, including the procurement of essential materials.
“We wish to encourage continued engagement among the relevant stakeholders to address the outstanding challenges, particularly those affecting payments and the resumption of construction,” he said.
When completed and operational, the facility is expected to strengthen KATH’s capacity to provide specialised maternal and child healthcare services and contribute to efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.