Friday 4th April , 2014 6:00 am
Executive Director of the GII, Vitus Azeem
Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Adaboo Azeem says Parliament should as a matter of urgency take a second look at the 306 million dollar Ridge Hospital expansion project if the approval process is false.
Parliament approved the agreement, clearing the way for the design, construction, procurement and installation of equipment for the rehabilitation of the hospital.
But the Minority in Parliament says Ghana will lose money if the commercial agreement between the Government and Bouygues Bartiment International to expand the Ridge Hospital in Accra goes ahead because Ghana will not get value for money.
Mr. Azeem on his part said the country is currently in a financial crisis so it will be prudent if parliament reviews the agreement. ”…. if the same parliament that approved [the agreement] find out that there was something wrong with the approval process, then there is nothing wrong with them going back to review the agreement.”
”I think that in the national interest this thing should be brought back for debate and the right thing done; we cannot afford to be allowing things like this to happen when we are already facing several difficulties,” he added.
He, however, stated that the company should be willing to renegotiate with government if there are questions with the first deal.
The Minority have also raised concerns that the deal was approved on the blind side of the Minority, according to them government advisers had indicated the Ridge Hospital project could be done for less than half the agreed amount.
The project is being funded by the Exim Bank and HSBC Bank of the United States of America.
As part of the refurbishment, Ridge Hospital will be expanded from a 200-bed facility to a 420-bed capacity hospital, while departments such as Imaging, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Accident and Emergency, Neonatal, Intensive Care, Burns, Pharmacy and Laboratory, will all be expanded.
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana