The construction of the new Akatsi South Municipal Hospital, a significant healthcare infrastructure initiative aimed at enhancing medical services in the municipality, commenced in 2012 under the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The project was initiated during a period of political transition when President John Dramani Mahama assumed office in July 2012, following the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills. The hospital was intended to either replace or significantly supplement the existing Akatsi South Government Hospital, which was already facing substantial infrastructural challenges.
According to available records, the project received funding from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), with Maripoma Enterprise Limited as the contractor.
The hospital complex was designed to provide modern healthcare amenities, including male and female wards, a Central Sterilisation and Supply Department (CSSD), a surgical theatre, a recovery ward, a mortuary, laundry facilities, staff accommodation blocks, senior staff bungalows, and residential quarters for doctors and nurses.
Reports also indicated that the staff accommodation component featured a 40-room storey building and other residential facilities aimed at improving living conditions for healthcare workers.
The project was initially expected to be completed between 2015 and 2016. However, construction was halted before completion, leaving several structures unfinished.
By 2019, residents of Akatsi began expressing concerns over what they perceived as the project’s abandonment. Community members reported that the contractor had vacated the site, casual workers had lost their jobs, and pressure on the existing municipal hospital continued to escalate.
An investigation by the Ghana News Agency in 2021 revealed that the project was approximately 70 percent complete. The report noted that several structures had begun deteriorating due to years of neglect, with overgrown vegetation and signs of abandonment overtaking parts of the facility.
Further assessments in 2023 suggested that some components of the project had reached between 75 and 90 percent completion. Despite this progress, key facilities including the theatre, mortuary, and staff accommodation blocks were reported to be deteriorating rapidly. Health professionals and stakeholders repeatedly urged authorities to complete the project as a matter of urgency.
The importance of the new hospital has become even more evident due to challenges facing the existing Akatsi Municipal Hospital. These challenges include inadequate ward space, insufficient staff accommodation, limited office facilities, difficulties in attracting and retaining healthcare professionals, and aging infrastructure.
The facility reportedly handles between 150 and 200 outpatient visits daily, placing considerable pressure on available resources.
In March 2022, a fire outbreak destroyed part of the hospital’s main surgical theatre, further underscoring the urgent need to complete the new hospital project and improve healthcare delivery within the municipality.
As the project continues to deteriorate due to prolonged abandonment, many residents are urging the government and relevant stakeholders to take immediate steps to complete the facility and make it operational for the benefit of the people of Akatsi and surrounding communities.
Reported by Akatsi Today
Hon. James Gunu
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
John Dramani Mahama
Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple
TV3 Ghana
