The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has urged contractors working on the Military Hospital at Afari, to make sure they deliver the facility by the expected timeline which is December 15, 2022, without any excuses, graphiconline.com has reported.
After visiting the site yesterday, June 22, 2022, the minister said he will be there with the Parliamentary select committee on health to ensure the commissioning of the project when it is ready.
"In December, I will be here with the Parliamentary select committee on health to commission this project, and nothing must stall it", he is quoted to have said.
He added that the government has managed to do its part by producing the outstanding contract sum in order to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
The hospital which is located in the Atwima Nwabiagye District of the Ashanti Region, is being managed by Euroget De-Invest, an investment company in Egypt.
Accompanied by the Parliamentary Select Committee, the Minister of Health, and high-ranking military officers including the Director-General, Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services, Brig. Gen. Raymond. K. Ewusi, and Commander, Kumasi Military Hospital, Brig. Gen. Prosper Kwame Ayibor, inspected the progress of the work on the 500-bed facility as it nears completion and commissioning.
According to graphiconline.com, Mr. Nitiwul however disclosed that the process of recruiting some 2,000 health and auxiliary staff will begin this year ahead of the operations at the hospital.
He, therefore, commended the workers for their level of professionalism and efforts they put in the work. According to him, looking at the stage where the project has gotten to, he is confident enough that December is far enough time to complete the rest.
"I wish to commend you highly for your level of professionalism and urgency to work.
"With what I have seen today, I'm very confident that you will deliver on your mandate", he is quoted to have said.
The Afari Military Hospital will have specialist capacity in terms of equipment and clinics to handle major medical conditions.
It will have 17 specialist clinics, pharmacy units, theatres, laboratories, kitchen, laundry, and morgue, among others.
It also has medical waste, sewage and water treatment plants, a 54-flat staff accommodation, a gas-generating system, a parking lot for more than 700 cars and a helipad.
It also has a six-kilometer internal road network and 40-acre landscaping on the 260,000-metre square project area.
LAYL/WA
Defence Minister, contractors and officials inspecting the project at Afari