President John Mahama has announced plans to construct a new Trauma and Emergency Centre as part of an ambitious expansion project for the Walewale Government Hospital in the North East Region.

The announcement, made during a community engagement in Nalerigu, is part of the President’s renewed healthcare agenda aimed at addressing infrastructure deficits in underserved regions.

But it has also sparked controversy for seemingly sidelining a major hospital project initiated by former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

“We are seeking funding for the expansion of the Walewale Municipal Hospital,” President Mahama said.

“We want to add a trauma and emergency centre to take responsibility for any accidents that happen on the Tamale–Bolga road corridor.”

He also revealed plans to improve existing infrastructure at the Walewale hospital, including staff accommodation and water systems, to support the new emergency centre.

However, the announcement has raised concerns over the fate of an earlier, similar initiative by Dr. Bawumia.

That project — a 100-bed specialised hospital near Loagri, along the Tamale–Walewale–Bolgatanga road — was started in 2019 with funding from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

It was expected to be completed by 2020, but construction stalled and the facility remains abandoned.

The Bawumia-initiated hospital was designed to include modern units such as a pharmacy, physiotherapy department, general laboratory, radiology lab, eye and dental clinics, a Clinical Specialists Unit, operating theatre, ICU, obstetrics and gynecology unit, medical wards, a mortuary, central sterilization unit, laundry, dining hall, and cutting-edge medical equipment.

President Mahama’s announcement also included plans for a new district hospital in Yunyoo, even though a similar facility had already been initiated under the NPP government’s Agenda 111 programme.

That project now appears to be on the verge of neglect, based on the President’s remarks.

The developments reflect a growing pattern of project discontinuity between successive administrations, with political rivalries threatening to overshadow critical healthcare needs in vulnerable communities.