While some of the facilities have been completed yet not in use, others have stalled for many years with no immediate sign work on them will resume soon.

Among the projects is the $217 million University of Ghana Medica Center, an ultra-modern teaching hospital that is not operating due to a tussle over the management of the facility between the University and the Ministry of Heath.

Find details in the infographic below:

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By: Melvin Clottey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The parties, in a meeting convened at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the project which was commissioned by former President John Mahama in January 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”KqyfWdY8vqNjhvqss7hSY2TibAVDA2Ir”]The world-class medical centre had been abandoned following a tussle between the Ministry of Health and the University of Ghana over the control of the facility.

This is despite the full installation of all the necessary medical equipment for operations at the facility to commence.

The 617-bed facility has ultra-modern medical gadgets for treating complicated medical conditions, and a helipad to airlift patients with emergency cases as well as a medical hotel.

The government has said it remains committed to the vision of the project, for which it secured a loan of $217 million.

It assured the university community and the public of the successful completion and operation of the facility, in line with the vision of the project.

In a joint communique issued after the meeting, the three bodies reiterated the need to address issues concerning the ownership and management of the centre.

Background

The government of Ghana in 2012 under the former President John Evans Atta-Mills entered into an agreement with Messrs Engineering and Development Consultant (EDC) of Israel to build the first phase of the Center.

According to former deputy Minister of Health, Rojo Mettle Nunoo, the original plan of the government was to allow the University of Ghana to manage the facility but the facility after its face phase was inaugurated by former President John Mahama on January 6, 2017 is still not in use because the Ministry of Health wants to take over its management.

Last week, cabinet gave a directive for the Ministry’s take over the facility, leading to some national security operatives storming the premises.

Although the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Robert Cudjoe had denied that the national security operatives were there to take over the facility, he argued that the Ministry need to take over management of the facility because it had oversight responsibility for all health facilities in the country.

“The Ministry is taking over, just like it is mandated to ensure the health of the populace for national development. All health-related facilities in Ghana, both public and private all fall under the purview of the Ministry of Health, so it was strange for anybody to say that a particular hospital shouldn’t have the ministry of health coming close,” Robert Cudjoe said in a Citi News interview.

We need $6m to run $217m UG Medical Centre – Gov’t

Meawnhile, a Deputy Minister of Health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, has said an amount of 6 million US dollars is needed to begin operations at the University of Ghana Medical Centre.

According to him, the first phase of the Medical Centre, which cost 217 million dollars to establish, is yet to be completed because of the lack of funds needed for its operationalization.

“The hospital has not been officially handed over to the Ministry, it is not complete, as we speak now, the operationalization is not like the working capital, we need to put certain things in place before the hospital can be open to the public,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu said his outfit also needs an additional 50 million US dollars to complete the second phase of the project.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“The Ministry is taking over, just like it is mandated to ensure the health of the populace for national development. All health-related facilities in Ghana, both public and private all fall under the purview of the Ministry of Health, so it was strange for anybody to say that a particular hospital shouldn’t have the ministry of health coming close. It is the Ministry of Health that trains all the various health professionals and posts them to the various facilities. This is the wisdom by which cabinet has decided that it should be managed or come under the Ministry of Health,” he said.

The Ministry over the weekend refuted claims that the presence of the National security at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) was to take over the facility.

The about 15 National security officials Center on the orders of the Health Minister in what appeared to be an attempt to take over the facility but the Ministry said the presence of the National security operatives was to reinforce security and protect equipment at the facility.

“The Company that won the bid and also constructed the facility has made it clear to the Ministry that they have completed all that they needed to do and for that matter they are demobilizing and are leaving the site. But if they are leaving the site, there are so many tools, items that are there at the moment. We have Legon security personnel patrolling and also taking care of the facility.”

“There are cases of pilfering going on from time to time so it became necessary for the Ministry to engage the National Security to go to the facility, analyze the situation and recommend appropriately, the number of additional security personnel who will be needed for them to check pilfering until the time that the facility will officially be opened to use by the public. They were not there to takeover because this is not a Military style or kind of thing,” he added.

A letter however sighted by Citi News, from the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu indicated that the interim management had been directed to hand over the facility to the Health Ministry and National Security.

Citi News about two months ago reported that the first phase of the Medical Centre, completed in 2016, was yet to be operational following disagreements over who manages the place.

The previous government, in 2012, signed a contract with Messrs. Engineering and Development Consultant (EDC) of Israel to build the first phase of the facility and hand it over to the university.

However, there was a tussle over the management of the facility following the change in government.

But Robert Cudjoe believes the takeover of the facility is to enforce the Ministry’s supervisory role.

$217m UG Medical Centre wasting away over management tussle

The first phase of the University of Ghana Medical Centre which was completed in November 2016, is yet to be operational following disagreements over the legitimate manager of the facility.

In 2012, government signed a contract with Messrs. Engineering and Development Consultant (EDC) of Israel to build the first phase of the facility and hand it over to the university.

The university designated 400 acres of land for the entire project.Sources closely involved with the project had revealed to Citi News that, after this contract was agreed, another deal was signed between the Ministry of Health and the University of Ghana in 2015, which gave ownership of the $217 million facility to the university.

Following this agreement, the university established a company, the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC) Limited to serve as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will oversee the operations of the facility.

The institution also went ahead to obtain approval from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Commission to recruit staff for the running of the facility.

The Ministry of Health in recent times, is however laying claims to the facility, leading to uncertainties over who has the responsibility to manage the centre.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Cabinet directs Health Ministry to takeover UG medical facility appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.