Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye
Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, the Ranking Member of the Health Committee in Ghana’s 9th Parliament, has called on the government to allocate dedicated funding for the Agenda 111 hospitals projects through the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) in the upcoming national budget.
Making a comment during a parliamentary debate on President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address, Dr. Afriye raised concerns over the government’s proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to finance the stalled healthcare initiative.
Dr. Afriye, a medical professional and Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, argued that relying on PPPs could undermine the core objective of Agenda 111 — to improve geographical coverage and provide accessible healthcare to less endowed areas without compromising on cost.
He pointed out that the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had used ABFA to allocate $400 million for the project, which aimed to build 101 district hospitals, six regional hospitals, one additional regional hospital in the Western Region, two psychiatric hospitals, and redevelop the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
However, with nearly 90 hospitals still incomplete, President Mahama recently proposed using PPPs and partnerships with religious organisations to bridge the $1.7 billion funding gap needed to complete the project.
In his submission, Dr. Afriye expressed skepticism about the PPP approach, warning that private investors might prioritise profitable urban areas over rural communities.
“We are talking about financing; 400 million has gone into it. Yes, 400 million of dedicated financing from ABFA. But you are saying the private sector should take care of that. Mr Speaker, they must demonstrate commitment for financing from the budget. The same ABFA that the NPP used, they can make allocation in this budget from ABFA. Apart from that, may I say you go for concessionary loans. You are asking for PPP, which is good. I am into the private sector in healthcare financing. If you give me the opportunity, I will take the juicy ones in the capital cities. What will happen to the rural folks who need healthcare the most? That is what I am talking about. Mr Speaker, there is no option than the NDC government led by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to make some provision in this budget from ABFA to continue Agenda 111,” he stated.
While acknowledging the potential of PPPs, he emphasised that without government-backed funding through mechanisms like ABFA, rural areas risk being neglected, as private entities may focus on more lucrative urban projects.
President Mahama, in his February 27, 2025, address, stated that $400 million had already been spent on Agenda 111, yet no hospitals are fully operational.
He proposed PPPs and a new Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) to address the funding shortfall, citing the lack of a dedicated funding source under the previous administration as a reason for the project’s delays.
SA/AE
Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below: