By Desmond Cudjoe
The Medical Director of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Dr Habib Ahmed, has issued an urgent plea to the government to resolve a stalled multi-million-dollar rehabilitation project, warning that the ongoing delay is compromising patient survival and crippling the hospital’s role as a referral hub for the Western and Central Regions.
In an interview with GBC in Sekondi, Dr Ahmed revealed that contractors have abandoned the site for a full year, leaving a critical 300-bed block project in limbo and the hospital’s infrastructure in disrepair. With 40% of the hospital’s clinical wards already demolished in preparation for the remodel, the facility is now operating in severely constrained space, forcing desperate measures to keep essential services running.
“We have reached a breaking point. Our laundry has now been converted into a makeshift emergency department,” Dr Ahmed said. “We are constantly turning away critically ill patients referred to us because we literally have no beds and no space to place them. This is unacceptable for a regional referral facility.”
A grim toll on human life
The lack of space and congestion is having a devastating impact on patient outcomes. According to Dr Ahmed, the crisis has contributed to a spike in mortality.
“Unsurprisingly, we have recorded an increase in our mortality rate for 2025 compared to previous years,” he said. “While the data is still being fully analysed, this situation can be directly attributed to the current state of the hospital, the crippling congestion, the lack of space to isolate critical cases, and our inability to accept the referrals that are the lifeblood of a tertiary facility.”
He explained that redirecting emergency cases to less-equipped facilities adds critical hours to transport time, often with fatal consequences. The hospital, built in the 1940s, had not seen major rehabilitation in decades and was already struggling to meet the demands of a growing population before construction began.
Project in peril as deadline looms
The ambitious remodeling project, awarded to Amandi Investment Limited, was designed to transform the aging facility into a modern teaching hospital. The 42-month timeline for the project is set to expire in July or August 2025, yet no work has been done for the past 12 months.
The project encompasses a five-acre site and will include:
- A modern Accident & Emergency Centre and ICU
- Specialized maternity and neonatal care units
- Seven state-of-the-art operating theatres
- A cardiothoracic unit with catheterization lab
- Oncology services including chemotherapy units
- Advanced diagnostic imaging, including MRI and CT scan
- Pediatrics and general surgery wards
- A new Outpatients Department (OPD) and public health services
- Renovated staff accommodations
Parliament approved a loan facility of $214,388,582 in November 2020 to finance the project, part of a broader agreement between the Government of Ghana and Investec Bank to upgrade health infrastructure in the Western Region. The aim was to create a facility capable of serving Ghana and the wider West African sub-region.
Political promises and the path forward
The crisis is acute as the hospital transitions into a teaching facility. Dr Ahmed stressed that completing the infrastructure is essential for training specialized doctors and nurses.
During a site visit in October 2024, President John Dramani Mahama described progress prior to the halt as “very impressive” and assured that the government would validate and pay outstanding claims to get the contractor back to work. Months later, the site remains deserted.
Dr Ahmed is appealing for immediate government action.
“We are pleading with the government to expedite the validation of claims and renew the contractor’s contract so they can return to the site immediately,” he said. “Beyond that, we need temporary structures to help accommodate the surge of patients in the interim. We cannot wait until July or August. People’s lives are at stake right now.”
With the project timeline hanging in the balance and a growing population relying on its services, the situation at Effia-Nkwanta has become a critical test of the nation’s commitment to delivering universal, quality healthcare.
