Political activist and physician, Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has criticised the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration over delays in the completion of the Afari Military Hospital, arguing that the party had ample time to finish the project and should accept responsibility for its failure to do so.

Mr Kennedy faulted the previous NPP government for failing to complete the Afari Military Hospital despite spending eight years in office.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, June 13, Dr Kennedy said the party had no justification for shifting blame.

“The NPP government had eight years to complete this. Regardless of everything that happened, they didn't do it. Shame on them. They should apologise before they say anything,” he said.

According to him, while the current administration must take responsibility for completing the project, the delays originated under the previous government. “Now that we are here, the Mahama administration should complete it,” he added.

Dr Kennedy noted that recent developments, including the suspension of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital's chief executive over directives on turning away patients, had brought renewed attention to broader challenges within the healthcare system.

Rather than assigning blame, he called for a comprehensive review of the circumstances that led to such incidents.

“We need to study these healthcare situations. In countries like Britain and the United States, they even examine ambulance response times. We need to stop just issuing directives and undertake systematic studies so that we can solve these problems,” he stated.

He maintained that while fixing systemic weaknesses is important, the unfinished Afari Military Hospital remains a clear example of a project that should have been completed during the NPP's tenure.

“We need to complete the Afari Military Hospital, but the NPP should bow its head in shame. It had eight years to complete it and did nothing,” he said.