Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Ranking Member on Health Committee Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says President Akufo-Addo is using COVID-19 pandemic to do a general campaign for the upcoming 2020 elections.
His comment comes on the back of the President assuring Ghanaians that government will embark on the contruction of some 94 hospitals within a year to beef up Ghana’s health sector.
President Akufo-Addo in his 8th national address to the nation on measure his government is taking to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic said 88 district and 6 regional hospitals would be constructed within a year.
Mr Akandoh believe the construction of these hospitals has nopthing to do with COVID-19 and the President has to give Ghanaians assurance of how to curb the spread of the virus rather than making what he describe as campaign promises.
“The construction of the 88 hospitals or so has nothing to do with COVID-19. I don’t think you want to imply that COVID-19 will linger on for an additional 1 year. At this point in time what I have realised is that the President is hiding behind COVID-19 update to do general campaign because he has realised he has not gotten the opportunity to go to the field and campaign so that is exactly what he is doing. If you refer to page 53 of their 2016 manifesto they indicated they were going to upgrade all district hospitals and where there is none build one, unfortunately, 3 and half years have gone and they have not built even one so we think that if you tell me you want to use one year to build all these you will be subjected to scrutiny,”
Meanwhile, an Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School Godfred Bokpin has stated that the government’s promise to construct 94 new hospitals within a year is impossible.
He explained that the reeling effect of Covid-19 on the economy will make the materialization of this plan very difficult.
Ever since the President made this promise, there has been divided opinions as some believe it is in the right direction and can be achieved, others also say this will not be possible as the government has not been able to do much in terms of infrastructure in the health sector.
As of April 25, 2020 Ghana’s COVID-19 cases were, 1,550 with 155 recoveries and 11 deaths.
