After years of delay, the Afari Military Hospital in the Ashanti Region is finally on track for completion. The government has released the necessary funds for the 500-bed capacity hospital, initially contracted in 2008. Work on the hospital, which started in 2014, has been repeatedly postponed due to various challenges, including site changes, tax exemption issues, and contractual disputes.
Project contractors, Eurogett D’Invest, are now optimistic about completing the facility by the end of the first quarter of 2024. Main Site Manager Ahmed Abu Shamaa stated, “We have around 150 workers on site currently. We plan to increase the workforce to about 500 in two weeks and then more than a thousand after Christmas.” He noted that most buildings are finished, with only final touches and medical equipment installation remaining.
The facility, once completed, will house 50 medical and non-medical buildings and feature 15 operating theatres, nine delivery rooms, and two endoscopy operating rooms. A medical gas plant for producing five medical gases is also part of the project.
Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, confirmed the release of funds, stating, “No contractor will engage in such a project without liquidity. They have received funding and we will continue to provide monetary support through the Ministry of Finance.”
During a recent tour of the facility, Dr. Nsiah Asare addressed concerns about the medical equipment, dispelling rumors that they were exposed to extreme weather conditions. He clarified, “Equipment like MRI, which uses Helium and is sensitive, is never stored in non-air-conditioned spaces.”
The Afari Military Hospital is among the nine health projects under Eurogett D’Invest. Despite the long wait, this project’s completion will significantly boost healthcare infrastructure in the region.
