By Benson Afful
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has recommended that the government allocate more Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) to the Agenda 111 Project to ensure its completion. The project, aimed at constructing 111 hospitals across Ghana, has received GH¢2.610 billion ($248.89 million) in ABFA funding from 2021 to 2024. However, a recent amendment to the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) has put the project’s future funding at risk.
The Agenda 111 Project is a flagship initiative by the previous government to improve healthcare infrastructure nationwide. Launched in August 2021, the project aims to construct 101 district hospitals, six regional hospitals, and two psychiatric hospitals in Kumasi and Tamale. Each hospital is designed to have a 100-bed capacity, with accommodation for doctors, nurses, and other health workers. The project is expected to significantly enhance Ghana’s healthcare system, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) for universal health coverage.
PIAC’s recommendation comes amid concerns that the project’s completion might be jeopardized due to the lack of critical funding from the ABFA. The Committee believes that investing more ABFA in the project would be beneficial for citizens. Additionally, PIAC has reiterated its call for Ghana to develop a broad-based, long-term national development plan approved by Parliament to ensure continuity in resource utilization for development purposes.
As of now, some progress has been made on the project. Over 30 hospitals are reportedly completed or nearing completion, with three out of five Agenda 111 hospitals in the Ashanti Region already operational. The government has secured a $100 million start-up fund for the project and plans to spend $7.65 billion to complete the Ghana Priority Health Infrastructure Projects.
