Former Health Minister Urges Gov't to Release Funds for Completion of La General Hospital
- Former Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has raised concerns over the abandonment of the La General Hospital construction project
- He stated that despite the submission of two additional Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) in 2024, no payments have been made to the contractor
- Dr Okoe-Boye further called on President John Mahama to release the funds to complete the project
Former Minister of Health under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo-led administration, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has expressed deep concerns over the abandonment of the La General Hospital construction project.
Dr Okoe-Boye, who is the MP for Ledzokuku, lamented that despite the project's progress under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, the current government, led by President John Mahama, has failed to release funds, bringing construction to a halt.
Source: Facebook
Speaking at the maiden press conference of the Ghana Amalgam for Development (GAD) on Thursday, October 16, 2025, he disclosed that the last Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) was generated and processed in October 2024.
Since then, Dr Okoe-Boye said, two additional IPCs have been submitted to the Ministry of Health for payment, but no funds have been released.
"The last IPC generated and processed under the NPP administration dates back to October 2024. Since that time, two additional IPCs have been duly submitted to the Ministry of Health by the contractor for payment," he said.
"It is regrettable to note that this current NDC administration, which secured an overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats in the Greater Accra Region, has failed to release a single cedi to the contractor. For nearly twelve months, not even ten Ghana cedis have been paid since the last IPCs were received and processed," he added.
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The former Health Minister and MP consequently urged President Mahama to pay the contractor to complete the project.
He also urged the government to hold a stakeholders' engagement with the chiefs and people of La, Teshie, Nungua, and adjoining communities to brief them on the project's status and provide a clear roadmap for completion.
When the La General Hospital project started
According to Dr Okoe-Boye, the La General Hospital’s redevelopment project was launched on August 10, 2020, with an estimated cost of €68 million.
He explained that the project was to be financed through a bilateral agreement between the Governments of Ghana and China, with Standard Chartered Bank (UK) as the financier and Sinosure as the export credit guarantor.
However, the project was stalled as a result of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), which was introduced by the Akufo-Addo government to save Ghana's ailing economy.
"To prevent total abandonment, the previous government (NPP) took the bold step of continuing the project using the Government of Ghana (GoG) funds. The NPP administration duly honoured the Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) raised by the contractor for works executed, a commitment that enabled the project to progress at full steam," he further added.
Source: Facebook
Gov't allocates GH¢130m for La Hospital project
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the government allocated GH¢130 million to resume work on the La General Hospital reconstruction project.
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the project to ease pressure on Ridge Hospital
Once completed, the 170-bed facility will expand access to quality healthcare for residents of La and nearby communities.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
