Funds were available to complete the abandoned health projects when the NDC handed over power in 2017, ex-president John Mahama has said.

According to Mahama, the 6th Parliament had approved monies, including loan agreements, which were to be used to complete the facilities scattered across the country.

However, a lot of these facilities have seen little or no development three years after the NPP government under the stewardship of Akufo-Addo, took charge, opposition NDC MPs have claimed.

Speaking in a live digital interaction on Thursday, Mahama said “there must be no reason why the funds were not available for completion of these projects.”

“I think that in most cases, it was unnecessary investigation of the projects, unnecessary and prolonged due diligence and value for money audits on the projects that delayed these projects,” the NDC presidential nominee said.

He added that if funds became short for the completion of these projects, it is because inflation affected the original cost due to the delay.

NDC MPs in 2019, went on a tour of hospital and other health projects across the country which have been “abandoned.”

These include: Tepa District Hospital, Twifo Praso District Hospital, Konongo District Hospital, Nsawkaw District Hospital, Kumawu District Hospital among others.

Most of these hospitals were scheduled to be completed in 2018 and 2019 but some are taken over by weeds.

Government to build 88 new hospitals

But in a televised address to the nation on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo announced his administration would begin construction of 88 new district hospitals to be completed within a year.

The otherwise noble declaration was met with widespread criticism. The critics urged the government to complete projects started by the erstwhile government, which have been abandoned before starting new ones.

But replying the critics, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said no health project began under Mahama has been abandoned.

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Mr. Agyeman-Manu said these projects have received the necessary attention and would be completed soon.