Govt To Focus On 35 Agenda 111 Hospitals As Akandoh Reveals New Completion Strategy

According to a report by Citi FM on Tuesday October 20, 2026, the government has announced plans to prioritise the completion of 35 district hospitals under the Agenda 111 project, with Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh explaining that the facilities will be developed in phases to ensure the effective use of limited public resources.

The decision follows a review of the ambitious healthcare infrastructure programme, which was introduced by the previous administration to improve access to healthcare across the country.

Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, October 19, 2026, Mr Akandoh said Cabinet had approved government investment in the selected facilities, while alternative arrangements were being considered for the remaining projects.

“Cabinet has approved to invest in 35 of the district hospitals under Agenda 111. So we are phasing them out. That was our position when we were in opposition. We thought that you can’t spread yourself too thin, and at the end of the day, you don’t do anything,” he stated.

According to the minister, the government believes concentrating resources on a limited number of hospitals will allow it to complete and operationalise facilities instead of distributing funding across numerous unfinished projects.

Mr Akandoh disclosed that approximately GH¢4.5 billion had already been spent on the Agenda 111 initiative, arguing that the investment could have delivered more completed hospitals if the resources had been concentrated on fewer projects.

“You have spent about GH¢4.5 billion. This GH¢4.5 billion could have finished about 20 of them. So we think that we can go gradually. So we are investing in about 35. Some of these hospitals, the contractors are on site,” he added.

The minister also revealed that the government was exploring partnerships with faith-based healthcare providers, including the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, to help complete, equip and manage some of the outstanding facilities.

Under the proposed arrangement, the selected institutions would take responsibility for completing and equipping the hospitals before operating them, while maintaining their relationship with the government.

“Government will give them those facilities to finish, equip and then run, because after all, government pays their compensation for them. We have that kind of relationship,” he said.

Mr Akandoh further disclosed that another group of between 30 and 35 hospitals was being considered for completion through partnerships.

The government could subsequently undertake additional phases of direct investment after assessing progress on the initial 35 facilities.

He explained that the selection process was based on the level of completion of each project and the need to ensure equitable distribution across the country’s 16 regions.

“Two main factors: level of completion and fair distribution. For example, we have about 16 regions, so at least every region must have one or two,” he stated.

The minister noted that regional balance could influence the selection process, meaning a hospital that was less advanced in one region could receive priority over a more completed facility elsewhere to ensure fair access to healthcare infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Mr Akandoh confirmed that construction had resumed at the Sewua Government Hospital after challenges involving road access, electricity, water supply and the installation of equipment were addressed.

“We had issues about the road, we had issues about electricity, we had issues about water, we had issues about installation of some equipment.

Now water solved, electricity is solved, road is solved. So the contractor is on site as I speak to you now,” he said.

The government’s latest approach is aimed at ensuring that stalled hospital projects are completed and put to use, while partnerships help mobilise additional capacity to deliver healthcare services across Ghana.

The success of the strategy will depend on sustained funding, timely construction and the ability to equip and operate the selected facilities for the benefit of communities that continue to need improved access to medical care.

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