BY Daniel Bampoe
Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has expressed deep concern over what he describes as the needless deterioration of public assets at the completed Trede District Hospital, warning that valuable state resources are being left to waste while healthcare facilities in the Ashanti Region continue to face mounting pressure.
Speaking during an inspection tour of health facilities in the region, Dr. Agyemang painted a troubling picture of a fully completed and commissioned hospital that remains unused nearly two years after it was handed over, despite growing healthcare demands and recurring concerns over congestion at major referral centres such as the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The former Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat said the situation highlights a troubling contradiction in the healthcare system, where modern hospitals equipped with state-of-the-art facilities remain idle while patients struggle to access beds and emergency services elsewhere.
According to him, the Trede Hospital, a 100-bed facility constructed under the Agenda 111 programme and commissioned in December 2024, is fully equipped and ready to begin operations immediately.
The hospital includes an Accident and Emergency Unit, inpatient wards, consulting rooms and residential accommodation for healthcare professionals.
During the visit, Dr. Agyemang toured some of the staff accommodation facilities and expressed shock at the level of investment that remains unused.
Standing inside one of the completed residential apartments designated for doctors and nurses, he pointed to functioning television screens, air conditioning systems, ceiling fans, lighting fixtures and furnished living spaces that have remained unoccupied despite being ready for use.
“It is so disheartening seeing this completed facility sitting idle. Everything is ready. The hospital has been commissioned. The staff quarters are completed. The equipment is in place. All that is needed are healthcare professionals to come and work here,” he stated.
The lawmaker argued that the continued delay in operationalising the hospital cannot be justified at a time when healthcare workers and patients continue to complain about overcrowding and inadequate capacity at existing facilities.
He stressed that one of the key pillars of the World Health Organization’s health systems framework is the availability of a healthcare workforce, insisting that government must urgently deploy doctors, nurses and other health professionals to begin providing services at the facility.
Dr. Agyemang also raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of construction materials and equipment left on-site due to prolonged delays in opening the hospital.
According to him, several building materials, including bags of cement and other supplies, have been damaged after being exposed to harsh weather conditions, representing a significant loss to the state and taxpayers.
He described the situation as a clear example of resource wastage, arguing that public funds invested in the project risk being squandered if urgent measures are not taken to put the facility into operation.
The concerns come amid increasing political debate over the operationalisation of health infrastructure projects across the country. The issue has gained renewed attention following recent industrial action by doctors at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, who cited overcrowding and capacity constraints as among the challenges affecting healthcare delivery.
Opposition lawmakers have consistently argued that facilities such as the Trede Hospital, the Kokoben-Oforikrom District Hospital, the Afari Military Hospital and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua could significantly reduce pressure on KATH if fully operationalised.
Dr. Agyemang believes the Trede Hospital alone has the capacity to provide substantial relief to the healthcare system in the Ashanti Region.
He noted that beyond the 100-bed capacity, the hospital possesses modern emergency care facilities capable of handling accident and trauma cases that would otherwise be referred to already congested hospitals.
The MP therefore called on government to take immediate steps to recruit and deploy the necessary workforce, complete any outstanding administrative processes and open the facility to the public without further delay.
According to him, the continued closure of a completed hospital while healthcare facilities struggle under increasing patient loads undermines efforts to improve access to quality healthcare and raises serious questions about national priorities.
He maintained that Ghanaians deserve to benefit from investments made with public funds and urged authorities to act quickly before valuable infrastructure and equipment deteriorate beyond repair.
“The hospital is ready. The equipment is ready. The staff accommodation is ready. What remains is for government to deploy the workforce and open the facility for the people it was built to serve,” he stressed.
