President John Dramani Mahama has committed to ensuring the prompt completion and operational readiness of the Sewua Hospital located in the Ashanti region.
During his address to dignitaries and attendees at the first Akwasidae celebration of the year, which took place at the Manhyia Palace on Sunday, January 19, the President detailed his administration’s strategies to tackle the significant challenges confronting the 250-bed facility.
In his remarks, President Mahama recognized the critical significance of the Sewua Hospital, highlighting its potential to alleviate the excessive patient burden currently experienced at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), one of the most prominent and busiest healthcare institutions in the Ashanti region.
He pointed out that KATH, which caters to not only the Ashanti Region but also neighboring areas, is presently operating beyond its capacity and urgently requires renovations.
President Mahama elaborated that the operationalization of the Sewua Hospital would facilitate the transfer of patients from KATH, thereby allowing for essential infrastructure renovations at the teaching hospital without interrupting its services.
“The Sewua Hospital is not yet operational due to the lack of electricity, water supply, and the absence of a constructed access road. I assure you that we will address these issues promptly to ensure the hospital can open its doors and alleviate the pressure on Komfo Anokye.
“It is essential to transfer some patients from Komfo Anokye to Sewua so that we can relieve the infrastructure at Komfo Anokye and carry out the necessary renovations. Conducting renovations at Komfo Anokye while it is functioning at full capacity presents significant challenges.”
The Sewua Hospital has been embroiled in political and contractual disputes. Prior to his departure from office, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the facility, a decision that drew criticism from the project’s contractor, Euroget De-Invest S.A. The contractor contended that the hospital was not prepared for commissioning, citing that essential elements of the project were still unfinished.
This hasty inauguration led to widespread public discontent and prompted inquiries regarding the government’s dedication to providing fully functional healthcare infrastructure.
