The long-awaited maternity ward project at the Nsawam Government Hospital has come under renewed scrutiny, with Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, calling on the government to take immediate steps to release funds to the contractor and ensure the project is completed.
Annoh-Dompreh made the call on Tuesday when he, together with his constituency executives and members of the party, inspected the ongoing maternity ward project. The project, which was initiated by his outfit in 2021, is intended to expand maternal healthcare infrastructure at the hospital and provide improved conditions for pregnant women and nursing mothers in Nsawam and surrounding communities.
However, following the change of government after the 2024 general elections, the pace of work on the project has slowed considerably.
Addressing the media after inspecting the project, the Minority Chief Whip, Annoh-Dompreh, explained that the contractor has been unable to proceed at the expected rate because of funding challenges, leaving him dissatisfied with the level of work completed so far.
The inspection therefore provided an opportunity for the MP to assess the current state of the project and engage the management of the hospital on the challenges affecting its completion.
Annoh-Dompreh subsequently appealed to the government to intervene and ensure that outstanding financial obligations to the contractor are addressed so that construction can resume at the required pace.
In a separate meeting with hospital management, Annoh-Dompreh said the project should not be allowed to remain unfinished because its benefits would extend to residents regardless of their political affiliation.
He expressed hope that, with the necessary 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,” Annoh-Dompreh said, while acknowledging that the project, as originally contracted, did not cover the full cost of furnishing the maternity ward with beds and other medical equipment.
The MP explained that the furnishing and equipping component would require additional funding beyond the existing construction contract.
He said he was prepared to explore other sources of funding to ensure that the facility, once completed, would not remain an empty structure but would be equipped and made ready to serve patients.
According to him, 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.
Annoh-Dompreh also used the occasion to reject the argument that his position in opposition should limit his ability to pursue development projects for his constituents.
He stressed that political power changes hands and that development projects funded with public resources should continue irrespective of which political party controls government.
He argued that Parliamentarians represent constituents rather than political parties alone, making it necessary for elected representatives to continue pursuing projects that serve the public interest even when their parties are not in government.
Drawing on the philosophy that progress should continue even under difficult circumstances, the MP said that where it was impossible to move at full speed, every available opportunity should still be used to make progress.
He further described governance as a continuum, arguing that one administration takes over from another and inherits responsibilities that ultimately belong to the state and not to individual political parties.
In that regard, Annoh-Dompreh called on the government to treat the maternity ward as a public-interest project rather than a political project.
The Hospital management also expressed concern about the project, as they urged the government to complete it on time.
