Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has called on the government to release funds to the contractor working on the Nsawam Government Hospital maternity ward project to enable the facility to be completed.
The MP appealed on Tuesday when he, together with constituency executives and other members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), inspected the ongoing project to assess its current state and identify challenges delaying its completion.
The maternity ward project, initiated in 2021, was intended to expand maternal healthcare infrastructure at the Nsawam Government Hospital and provide improved conditions for pregnant women and nursing mothers in the constituency and surrounding communities.
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However, Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the pace of construction has slowed considerably following the change of government after the 2024 general elections.
Speaking to the media after the inspection, the Minority Chief Whip expressed concern about the progress of the project, explaining that funding challenges had affected the contractor’s ability to continue work at the expected pace.
He therefore urged the government to intervene by settling outstanding financial obligations to the contractor to enable construction to resume and progress towards completion.
The inspection also allowed the MP to engage the management of the Nsawam Government Hospital on the challenges confronting the project and the need for urgent action.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the maternity ward should not be allowed to remain unfinished because its benefits would be available to residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
He expressed optimism that with the necessary government intervention, the project could reach the finishing stage before the end of the year.
“By the end of the year, we should be putting finishing touches,” he said.
The MP, however, acknowledged that completing the physical structure would not automatically make the facility operational.
According to him, the original contract did not fully cover the cost of furnishing the maternity ward with beds and other essential medical equipment.
He said additional resources would therefore be required to furnish and equip the facility after construction.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh said he was prepared to explore alternative sources of funding to ensure that the completed maternity ward would not become an empty structure but would instead be fully equipped and ready to provide healthcare services.
“The ultimate objective is not simply to complete a building but to provide a functioning maternity facility capable of responding to the healthcare needs of women in the constituency,” he stressed.
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP also rejected suggestions that being in opposition should prevent him from pursuing development projects for his constituents.
He argued that political power changes hands and that projects funded with public resources should continue regardless of which political party is in government.
According to him, Members of Parliament represent their constituents and therefore have a responsibility to pursue initiatives that serve the public interest even when their political parties are not in power.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh described governance as a continuum in which one administration takes over from another and inherits responsibilities belonging to the state rather than individual political parties.
He urged the government to treat the Nsawam maternity ward as a public-interest project rather than a political project.
Every opportunity, he said, should be used to advance development, even when circumstances make it difficult to move at the desired pace.
Management of the Nsawam Government Hospital also expressed concern about the delayed completion of the maternity ward and urged the government to take the necessary steps to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
The facility, once completed and properly equipped, is expected to improve maternal healthcare delivery and provide additional space for pregnant women and nursing mothers in Nsawam and surrounding communities.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh reiterated his commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to secure the additional resources required to complete and equip the facility, stressing that its successful completion would be a major benefit to the people of the constituency.