A hospital project in Walewale that could transform healthcare delivery in Ghana’s North East Region has stalled despite reaching 80% completion, with contractors blaming funding disruptions following the December 2024 change in government. The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation funded facility, which began construction on September 17, 2020, was originally scheduled for completion in 2022 but remains unfinished as the new administration settles into power.
The project sits near Loagri along the Tamale-Walewale-Bolgatanga road in the West Mamprusi Municipality, designed as a 100 bed specialized hospital that would serve as a critical referral center for the region. Its completion would significantly reduce the need for residents to seek advanced medical care in neighboring Upper East and Northern regions, a journey that often proves challenging for emergency cases and financially burdensome for patients.
Barima Ohene Aremeyaw, the contractor handling the project, revealed in an interview with Asaase News that political transitions consistently create challenges for infrastructure projects across Ghana. He explained that changes in government administration typically trigger cycles of project audits and payment delays that affect contractors and businesses throughout the construction sector.
According to Aremeyaw, recent meetings between GNPC, the contractor’s team, and the West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly have focused on strategizing ways to move the project forward. He disclosed that certain facilities not included in the original design have now been added to the scope of work, requiring additional resources beyond the initial contract value.
The contractor confirmed that his team has submitted an Interim Payment Certificate to GNPC and expressed hope that funds will be disbursed soon to allow work resumption. He emphasized that the main structure stands 80% complete, with remaining tasks focused on finishing works, installations, and equipping the facility with necessary medical infrastructure.
When completed, the hospital will feature comprehensive healthcare facilities including an administration block, trauma and emergency ward, eye clinic, labor ward, maternity ward, and pediatric ward. The design also incorporates a modern laboratory, Antenatal Care unit, separate male and female wards, surgical department, pharmacy, radiology unit, and intensive care unit. Supporting infrastructure includes a kitchen and modern toilet facilities to serve patients, visitors, and staff.
The stalled project has sparked controversy following President John Mahama’s recent announcement of plans to construct a new Trauma and Emergency Centre as part of an expansion project for the existing Walewale Government Hospital. During a community engagement in Nalerigu, the President indicated his administration is seeking funding for the municipal hospital expansion, raising questions about the fate of the nearly completed GNPC funded facility.
Critics have expressed concern that the new administration appears to be sidelining a major hospital project initiated during the previous government’s tenure. The Bawumia initiated hospital was conceived to provide specialized care that would complement rather than replace the existing municipal hospital, which serves as a primary care facility for the area.
Political observers note that infrastructure project disruptions following elections represent a recurring challenge in Ghana’s democracy. Projects associated with previous administrations often face uncertain futures as new governments prioritize their own initiatives or subject inherited projects to extended reviews and audits. This pattern creates inefficiencies and wastes resources already invested in partially completed facilities.
The West Mamprusi Municipality, with a population of approximately 175,755 according to the 2021 census, currently relies primarily on the Walewale Municipal Hospital, a facility that started as a health center and was upgraded to district hospital status in 1996. While the municipal hospital has received various donations and improvements over the years, including beds, incubators, and a mechanized borehole, it struggles to meet the growing healthcare demands of the municipality.
Healthcare infrastructure challenges in the area extend beyond the stalled hospital project. The existing Walewale Government Hospital faces persistent problems including unreliable power supply, inadequate water supply, insufficient medical consumables, and staff shortages. The Walewale Youth Association has appealed for public assistance to secure a standby generator and address other urgent needs affecting service quality.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, a native of Walewale, has supported healthcare initiatives in the area through personal donations and advocacy. He contributed GHC 50,000 during a recent fundraising event aimed at addressing urgent needs at the government hospital. His support over the years has included hospital beds, incubators, and water infrastructure, reflecting his connection to the community.
The GNPC funded hospital project represents significant investment in specialized healthcare infrastructure for the North East Region. The corporation’s commitment to funding the facility demonstrated corporate social responsibility aimed at addressing healthcare gaps in underserved areas. However, the current funding freeze threatens to turn that investment into a white elephant that provides no benefit to the community it was designed to serve.
Residents of Walewale and surrounding communities have watched the hospital structure take shape over the past five years with anticipation of improved healthcare access. The facility’s strategic location along a major highway corridor would make it accessible to populations from multiple districts, fulfilling its intended role as a regional referral center.
Medical professionals working in the North East Region have long advocated for specialized healthcare facilities that can handle complex cases without requiring patient transfers to Tamale or Bolgatanga. The trauma and emergency ward included in the stalled hospital’s design would prove particularly valuable given the highway location and frequency of road traffic accidents along the Tamale-Bolgatanga corridor.
The inclusion of an eye clinic addresses another critical gap in regional healthcare provision. Eye care services remain scarce in northern Ghana, forcing many patients to travel hundreds of kilometers for routine examinations and treatments. A functional eye clinic in Walewale would serve patients from across multiple municipalities in the region.
Similarly, the planned intensive care unit would provide critical care capabilities currently unavailable in the immediate area. ICU facilities require specialized equipment and trained personnel, making them particularly valuable assets in healthcare systems. The loss of this planned capability due to project abandonment would represent a significant missed opportunity for the region.
Parliamentary representatives and traditional leaders in the West Mamprusi Municipality have not issued public statements regarding the project’s status or the apparent shift toward building new facilities rather than completing existing ones. Their silence suggests either ongoing behind the scenes negotiations or resignation to the political dynamics affecting infrastructure projects.
Civil society organizations focused on healthcare access and transparency in public procurement may scrutinize the situation as it develops. Questions about efficient use of public resources become particularly relevant when substantially completed projects face abandonment in favor of starting new ones that will require additional time and money.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has not publicly commented on the funding situation or its plans for the project moving forward. As the sponsoring entity, GNPC’s decisions will ultimately determine whether the hospital reaches completion or joins the unfortunate list of abandoned government projects that dot Ghana’s landscape.
For now, the partially completed hospital structure stands as a visible reminder of unrealized promises and the challenges of maintaining infrastructure development continuity across political transitions. Whether it eventually serves the healthcare needs of Walewale residents or becomes another monument to political discontinuity remains uncertain as stakeholders await clarity from the new administration and GNPC.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
