President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the rehabilitated and refurbished Bolgatanga Regional Hospital to enhance healthcare delivery in the Upper East Region significantly.
The state-of-the-art facility, transformed at $52 million, will serve as a beacon of hope and a centre of excellence in healthcare for the region and beyond.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Akufo-Addo emphasised the importance of accessible quality healthcare, which he said is a fundamental right for every Ghanaian.
"Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right of every citizen, and it is the government's responsibility to ensure that the exercise of this right is not just theoretical, but, more importantly, practical," the President stated.
The President, thus, emphasised that the revitalised hospital is a testament to the government's unwavering commitment to ensuring that Ghanaians have access to the best quality healthcare delivery.
The transformation of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, which has undergone several renovations over the years, was made possible through a $20 million concessional loan from the Saudi Fund for Development, which funded the second and third phases of the project.
An additional $32 million from the same fund ensured the completion of critical infrastructure, including a modern kitchen, a central sterile supply department, a mortuary block, staff accommodation and medical equipment installations, among others.
President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the challenges faced during the project, particularly funding issues that threatened to limit its scope.
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However, through persistent efforts by the Ministry of Health, the necessary resources were secured, allowing for the comprehensive upgrade of the hospital. The result is a modern facility equipped to meet the growing healthcare needs of the region's population.
President Akufo-Addo outlined his administration's broader healthcare agenda, which includes the ongoing Agenda 111 initiative, which aims to construct 111 district hospitals and regional facilities across the country.
As of May 2024, work on 96 sites was actively progressing, with several expected to be completed by the end of the year.
He urged the Ministry of Health to expedite the finalisation of an incentive package to attract and retain medical professionals where they are most needed to address the uneven distribution of healthcare workers, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
The government, since 2017 has recruited over 200,000 medical personnel and significantly expanded the coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which has seen a 69% increase in active membership, an addition of 8,665 hospital beds across the country, among others.
