The government has released 14 million euros to Brazilian construction firm ‘Contracta’ which is responsible for the construction of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital 900 maternity block to mobilize its workers back on site after the firm abandoned the project site for over a year.
Government over the past year failed to release funds to the firm to complete the project on scheduled time as part of the IMF conditionality that bans the government from spending on capital projects which requires external government credit facility.
The development compelled the foreign construction firm to lay off about 2000 workers working on several other government capital intensive projects in Kumasi.
Addressing the media in Kumasi after a visiting the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the new Finance Minister, Dr. Muhammed Amin Adam assured work is expected to resume soon.
His visit was to afford him the opportunity to learn at first hand challenges faced by the hospital and also to assess the state of work at the site where the new Maternity Block is being constructed.
The finance Minister told the media that the government was committed to completing all projects started in the Ashanti region including roads, markets, hospitals and others.
He said the President has instructed him to find money to work and complete the Sofoline Interchange, the Kejetia phase two project, the KATH Maternity Block, the Kumasi International Airport as well as roads in the Ashanti Region.
He disclosed that $5m had been released to the contractor working on the Afari Military Hospital and was sure that the project would soon be completed for use.
Prof Otchere Addai Mensah Chief executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital said the hospital was being renovated through the Heal KATH Project initiated by the Asantehene.
Currently, he noted that management has had to adopt a phased approach due to lack of space to renovate and still take care of patients, adding that the completion of the 900 bed Maternity block would be a welcome gesture since they would have more space to move patients and carry out the renovations.
