Minority MPs on Parliament’s Health Committee are demanding the immediate operationalisation of the over 500-bed Afari Military Hospital, which they say has been abandoned and left to deteriorate amid overgrowth and neglect.

Chaos has sparked at the Afari Military Hospital in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region, after soldiers stationed at the facility confronted members of the minority and residents on the Health Committee over what they described as an unauthorised entry into the premises.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament, led by Ranking Member Nana Ayew Afriyie, had visited the facility to assess the condition of the long-abandoned over 500-bed capacity hospital project, which has reportedly been left unused for years.

After a brief inspection, during which the lawmakers expressed concern about the deteriorating state of the facility, the MPs and residents were stopped by military personnel guarding the hospital. The confrontation quickly escalated into a heated exchange between both parties.

The Minority MPs are currently touring parts of the Ashanti Region to demand the urgent operationalisation of abandoned health infrastructure, particularly in the wake of industrial action by doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, which has raised concerns about access to healthcare services.

However, the soldiers insisted the MPs should have sought prior clearance before entering the facility, a position that triggered further pushback from the lawmakers, who described the visit as a necessary emergency oversight exercise.

The MPs maintained that public officials must be held accountable, insisting that when institutions fail to act, representatives of the people must step in to draw attention to the situation.

Speaking after the confrontation, Ranking Member Nana Ayew Afriyie said while the incident was unfortunate, the visit was necessary to highlight the abandoned state of critical health infrastructure.

“Nobody says these things are right, but it is necessary to put pressure on government. It is a tool for demonstration, a tool to express your feeling,” he said.

He further stressed the need for equitable development across regions, insisting that the Ashanti Region must not be left behind in national infrastructure delivery.

“Just as other regions matter, Ashanti also matters,” he added.

The incident has since sparked renewed debate over security protocols at state facilities and growing concerns about abandoned health projects across the country.