A private Legal Practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini has criticised the Ministry of Health (MOH) for its supposed inability to provide information on government’s Agenda 111 pursuant to the RTI Act (2019), ACT 989.

His comments follow the reply given to a Joy News’ request to the Ministry of Health for information on on the Agenda 111 project, which is touted as “the largest investment in healthcare infrastructure in the country since independence.”

Pursuant to the RTI Act (2019), ACT 989, the JoyNews Research Desk on February 11 wrote to the Ministry seeking:

1. Copies of the policy or policies underpinning the project.
2. Detailed project proposal including feasibility studies and funding sources secured.
3. List of all districts where projects will be sited.
4. Detailed plan for commencement and completion of each of the projects.
5. Detailed plan for staffing and operation of each of the hospitals.

However, the Ministry in a reply to the request on Monday, March 21, said “Per our records, we do not have the information in our custody.”

Speaking on Top Story, Tuesday, Mr. Anyenini explained that the Right to Information Law mandates any institution which receives a request for information to fall on other bodies they deem fit to obtain it if they do not have.

“It is taken for granted that the nature of the information sought, the institution at which you directed your request ought to in the least, have a knowledge of where you can procure that information and then should have done the referral or transfer to the institution,” he said.

According to him, the act by the Health Ministry is not the best and per the law, the Ministry’s action is gross misconduct and if it is intended to mislead, conceal or deny the request, it is punishable a fine of GH₵3,000 to GH₵6,000 or a jail term between 1 and 3 years.

“This is not good at all. This Ministry ought to either have the information in its custody. If it doesn’t have it, it should have knowledge of where it is and then should do the referral or transfer of the application,” Mr. Anyenini added.

Meanwhile, in January this year, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, told Ghana Television that the government’s ambitious Agenda 111 project had made progress of 35 per cent.

“On average, we have done close to about 35 per cent works on all the 101 facilities… There were a lot of pre-contract arrangements, things that we needed to do; siting, topography surveys to ensure that there are places where contractors can move into.”

Agenda 111

President Akufo-Addo on August 17, 2021, launched the Agenda 111 project.

The project will cover the design, procurement, construction, equipping and commissioning of 101 District Hospitals, 6 Regional Hospitals in newly created regions, and 1 Regional Hospital in the Western Region, 2 Psychiatric Hospitals in Kumasi and Tamale and a redeveloped Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

The project is to ensure that Ghanaians nationwide have access to quality healthcare services and with the National Health Insurance Scheme, boost the provision of healthcare infrastructure and financial accessibility to healthcare.

Doctors, nurses and other health personnel will have accommodation in the hospitals to be constructed.

According to the Agenda 111 detailed document, the facilities that will be enjoyed by Ghanaians include four state-of-the-art surgical theatres for maternity, obstetrics and gynaecology, a full complement of male, female, pediatric and isolation wards, among others.

According to government, on completion, the venture will be “the largest investment in healthcare infrastructure in the country since independence.”