The Minority Caucus in Parliament has mounted a robust defence of the New Patriotic Party’s record on the Afari Military Hospital project, insisting that official records contradict recent claims suggesting little progress was made on the facility during the Akufo-Addo administration.
The opposition lawmakers say the ongoing public debate surrounding the 500-bed hospital must be guided by verifiable facts and documented project records rather than political rhetoric, as controversy continues over the true state of completion of one of the most significant healthcare infrastructure projects.
The latest intervention follows a series of public comments and competing narratives regarding the status of the Afari Military Hospital, a facility that has become central to discussions about healthcare capacity in the Ashanti Region following recent challenges at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
In a statement backing the position of the NPP Policy Committee on Health, the Minority argued that available project records provide a clear account of the hospital’s development trajectory and the progress achieved under successive governments.
According to the Caucus, the origins of the project predate the NPP administration. The hospital was first conceived between 2008 and 2013, during which period authorities reportedly explored multiple locations before eventually settling on Afari in the Ashanti Region as the final site for the project.
Physical construction of the hospital commenced in 2014 under the John Mahama administration. However, the Minority contends that by December 2016, overall progress on the project stood at approximately 40 percent.
The opposition maintains that substantial progress occurred after the Akufo-Addo administration assumed office in January 2017.
Citing project records, the Minority stated that by September 2024, civil works on the core hospital facility had reached approximately 97.5 percent completion.
The records further indicate that architectural works stood at 87 percent, road infrastructure was about 80 percent complete, while landscaping and support infrastructure, including staff accommodation and related facilities, had reached approximately 77 percent completion.
According to the Caucus, the overall completion level of the core hospital facility stood at approximately 92.5 percent by September 2024.
The Minority further claims that by January 2025, the overall project completion rate had increased to approximately 98 percent, making recent assertions that the project remains only 60 percent complete inaccurate.
The disagreement over completion percentages has become one of the most contentious aspects of the Afari Hospital debate, with government officials and opposition figures presenting differing assessments of the project’s status.
While some officials have recently suggested that critical biomedical and mechanical installations remain unfinished and continue to affect operational readiness, the Minority insists that the hospital is substantially complete and requires only limited additional intervention before commissioning.
Beyond the construction figures, the opposition also sought to clarify issues relating to project financing and outstanding contractor claims.
According to the Minority, the original contract value of approximately US$180 million was fully paid during the course of project implementation.
The statement further noted that an additional payment of about US$19.3 million, linked to earlier project relocation challenges and associated claims, was also settled in full.
The Caucus disclosed that government subsequently negotiated an additional contractor claim of approximately US$6 million down to US$3 million, of which US$2.5 million was reportedly paid before the end of the previous administration.
Based on these figures, the Minority argues that only about US$500,000 remained outstanding at the time of the transition to the current government.
The opposition says these records directly contradict suggestions that government still owes as much as US$85 million on the project.
The Minority therefore called for greater reliance on official project documentation when discussing major national infrastructure projects, arguing that inaccurate claims risk misleading the public and distorting the historical record.
The statement also appeared to reference recent public disagreements within political circles over the status of the project, stressing that internal concerns should be resolved through established mechanisms rather than through public commentary that could create confusion.
