By Issah Olegor
The Mahama administration has announced a major policy shift on the Agenda 111 hospital programme, revealing that only 35 selected hospital projects will be prioritised for completion while work on the remaining facilities will be suspended until further notice as part of a phased implementation strategy.
The decision, announced by Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh in Parliament on Wednesday, July 8, follows a comprehensive Cabinet review of the nationwide hospital initiative, which was launched by the previous Akufo-Addo administration to bridge the healthcare infrastructure gap by constructing district, regional and specialised hospitals across the country.
Agenda 111 was introduced in 2021 as one of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s flagship health projects following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme sought to construct hospitals in districts without district hospitals, upgrade selected regional facilities and establish specialised hospitals to improve access to quality healthcare nationwide.
However, several of the projects have experienced delays due to funding constraints, rising construction costs and implementation challenges.
Addressing Parliament, Akandoh disclosed that Cabinet has now resolved to adopt a phased approach to the implementation of the programme in order to ensure prudent use of public resources and avoid what the government considers excessive and unproductive expenditure.
According to him, government will initially concentrate its resources on completing 35 hospital projects, with the remaining facilities effectively placed on hold until resources become available for subsequent phases.
“I am happy to inform this House that there has been a Cabinet decision on Agenda 111 and we are supposed to phase them out and so Cabinet has taken the decision to invest in the first 35 districts or facilities,” the Health Minister told Parliament.
He explained that the selection of the projects to be completed will not be arbitrary but will be guided by specific criteria, including the level of completion of each project, the healthcare needs of the affected communities and equitable regional distribution to ensure every region benefits from the first phase.
“We will look at the level of completion, the need of the people of the area and we also look at the regional distribution and so at least we will have one facility in every region,” he stated.
The Health Minister further announced that government intends to strengthen collaboration with the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) as part of broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
He acknowledged the critical role CHAG has played in Ghana’s healthcare system over the years, particularly in rural and underserved communities, indicating that the partnership would help expand access to quality health services while the government works to complete the selected Agenda 111 projects.
The announcement represents the first major policy decision on the future of the Agenda 111 programme since the current administration assumed office and is expected to generate debate over the fate of dozens of hospital projects that were initiated under the previous government.
While government maintains that the phased approach is necessary to safeguard public finances and ensure value for money, the decision means that many communities that had anticipated receiving new district hospitals under the original Agenda 111 programme may have to wait until future phases are approved.
The Ministry of Health has not yet released the full list of the 35 hospital projects selected for completion, but officials say the projects will be distributed across all regions based on priority needs and their current state of completion.
