President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, May 16, announced the Government’s plans to upgrade the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) into a full-fledged Teaching Hospital.

This primarily aims to enhance both medical training and healthcare services.

“We will also construct Ridge Hospital Phase Two, which will increase the capacity of that hospital as a teaching hospital in Greater Accra Regional Hospital,” President Mahama stated in his remarks at a durbar of the Chiefs and People of the Greater Accra Region at Dodowa during his National “Thank You Tour” of the Region.

The “Thank You Tour” is to enable the President to express gratitude to the Chiefs and People of the Greater Accra Region and Ghanaians, for their massive support for him and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general election.

The President said the Greater Accra Regional (the Ridge Hospital) would also have an affiliation to the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.

This, he said, would enhance specialist training and reduce referrals outside the region.

He said furthermore, they would expand Chip Compounds in peri-urban communities like Bortianor, Kpone, Shai Osu-Doku to ensure that primary healthcare is accessible and reliable.

President Mahama said that existing CHPS compounds and all new CHPS compounds they would build; they were going to include accommodation for the health workers.

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President John Dramani Mahama has assured the chiefs and people of the Greater Accra Region of his Government’s determination to provide them with good roads under the Big Push – National Infrastructure Development Programme.

He reiterated that he was aware of the frustrations caused by the congestion in the capital, the poor maintenance of roads, and incomplete road projects.

President Mahama made the remarks in his address at the durbar of the chiefs and people of the Greater Accra Region in Dodowa during his national “Thank You Tour” of the region.

The national “Thank You Tour” is to enable the President express gratitude to Ghanaians for their massive support for him and the National Democratic Congress during the December 7, 2024, general elections.

The President said under the Big Push, there would be rehabilitation and construction of key road corridors; such as the Adenta-Dodowa Road, the La-Teshie Link, the Tema Harbour-Tema General Hospital-Motorway Road, the Apolonia-Oyibi Road and the Tema Motorway Expansion, which were ongoing.

Others are feeder roads in Ga East, Ga South, Ningo-Prampram, including roads in Shai-Osudoku, Ada East, and Ada West, which were going to be fast-tracked under the Big Push.

He said additionally, the government would reconstruct the road from Dahwenya to Afienya, from Afienya to Dodowa, and also from Doryumu to Dodowa, and the Ashaiman to Madina roads.

President Mahama said under the same programme, major expansion works would take place on the Liberation Road, the Polo Court Road, Airport Aviance-El Wak to Christ the King Corridor, and on the Ring Road from the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange all the way to the La Beach Hotel.

He said they would also begin the construction of the Greater Accra Outer Ring Road, which would allow traffic that was continuing to the northern part and to the western part of the country to bypass Accra without coming through the city.

“And so it means trucks and others coming from Lome and going to Kumasi or to Takoradi don’t need to come through Accra City, they’ll pass on the Outer Ring Road and continue their journey,” the President explained.

He said as a permanent fix to decongest Accra, the government would begin the design and feasibility study for a new city.

The President noted that some of the government offices and agencies would be moved out of Accra to the new city.

“I believe that this city will be located somewhere on the Accra plains from Bundasi, straddling across Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions. The city will straddle three regions,” the President said.

He said the new city would stretch to the banks of the Volta River and there would be a railway link and an expressway that would link the new city to Accra.

Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, the Nungua Mantse and President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, congratulated President Mahama on his historic election victory and come back.

He said President Mahama’s remarkable election signified two important things- the strong faith the majority of Ghanaians had in him and their dissatisfaction with his opponents.

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Two young men are in the custody of the Kasoa Ofaakor Jei River Police for allegedly stealing iron rods from the Agenda 111 hospital project site at Ofaakor in the Awutu Senya East Municipality of the Central Region.

The police are pursuing a third suspect who narrowly escaped and is currently on the run.

Upon their arrest, 31 pieces of 18-millimetre iron rods were found in a tricycle they were using to cart the stolen items. During interrogation, they allegedly admitted to the crime, explaining that it was their second time stealing iron rods from the site.

The three were said to have arrived at the site with the tricycle but were intercepted by security men at the Odupong Ofaakor Senior High School.

One of the security men, Emmanuel Sakyi, told Adom News’ Kofi Adjei that when they confronted the suspects, they admitted to stealing the iron rods from the project site. An attempt to arrest them led to a long chase.

He said their shouts of “thief, thief” attracted the help of some community members who assisted in arresting two of the suspects, while one managed to escape.

The police at the Ofaakor Jei River station are currently holding the two arrested suspects.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Awutu Senya East Assembly, Mr Seth Banini, has visited the scene and the project site, where he condemned the actions of the suspects.

He cautioned the youth in Kasoa to desist from such acts that tarnish the area’s reputation.

Mr Banini reiterated his commitment to creating job opportunities for the youth and encouraged them to engage in productive ventures to better themselves and contribute positively to the community.

The Agenda 111 project, initiated by the Government of Ghana during the presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo, aims to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare by constructing hospitals in every district and region, thereby advancing universal health coverage and supporting the attainment of SDG 3.

The project includes the design, construction, and commissioning of 101 district hospitals, seven regional hospitals, two psychiatric hospitals, and the redevelopment of existing facilities, with all hospitals featuring staff accommodation and a model for accelerated health infrastructure development.

With not even a single one of the hospitals operational yet, the present administration has accused its predecessor of leaving no dedicated source of funding for the “gargantuan project”, bringing work at various project sites to a standstill.

President Mahama has told Parliament that he has tasked the Minister of Health to come up with a plan for the way forward for the project, explaining that the government was open to Public Private Partnerships and franchising to complete and operationalize these hospitals.

Source: myjoyonline.com