Democracy and Development Fellow (Health) at Ghana Center For Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, has raised serious concerns about the potential impact of Agenda 111 on Ghana's healthcare challenges.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Mr Asiedu expressed doubt, arguing that the initiative by the outgoing government, which President-elect John Mahama's intends to incorporate into his broader development agenda, will not resolve the fundamental issues within the country's healthcare system.

“Agenda 111 does not address the core problems highlighted in our healthcare reports,” Mr Asiedu said, emphasising that while the initiative focuses on the construction of new hospitals, it fails to address the systemic issues already deeply embedded in the current healthcare framework.

One of the most pressing health problems, according to Asiedu, is the severe lack of basic medical equipment in many healthcare facilities across the country. “Reports indicate that 95% of consultation rooms in our hospitals lack essential equipment for diagnosis and treatment,” he explained. “Only 5% are properly equipped.”

This stark statistic highlights the critical gaps in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure, particularly in district hospitals, where the absence of basic tools is most pronounced.

Mr Asiedu further argued that simply building new hospitals is not the solution to these widespread issues. “We need to retool and revitalise our existing healthcare system,” he stated. “Retooling cannot be achieved overnight, and it certainly cannot be fixed by just erecting new buildings.”

Moreover,Mr Asiedu highlighted the lack of fundamental resources such as oxygen, in many district hospitals.

“A large number of our district hospitals don't even have oxygen, let alone basic diagnostic tools like scanners,” he pointed out. “This directly affects our antenatal care and delivery systems, which in turn contributes to poor health outcomes for both mothers and babies.”

He then posed a series of critical questions regarding the efficacy of Agenda 111: “How is Agenda 111 going to resolve these underlying issues? How much has been invested in addressing the root causes? And how will the mis-investment of funds solve the pressing problems we face in our healthcare sector?”

Mr Asiedu also questioned whether the focus should be on completing new hospitals or whether there should be a more fundamental overhaul of the healthcare system. “We seem to be limiting ourselves to the question of whether the next government can finish these hospitals,” he remarked. “But should we have even embarked on this mass hospital-building initiative in the first place? What are the implications for the physical infrastructure of our healthcare system, and will future governments even be able to deliver the improvements we so desperately need?”

Asiedu also warned that without addressing the root causes of the healthcare challenges, Agenda 111 is unlikely to achieve its intended goals.

He called for a broader discussion on how to truly reform Ghana's healthcare system, urging policymakers to focus on the areas that will have the most significant impact. “We must ensure that we are investing wisely,” he counseled, “to build a healthcare system that serves the needs of all Ghanaians effectively.”