€50M La General Hospital Contract Nearly Abrogated

…Minister Reveals, But Happy With Progress of Work  Now

By; Gifty Arthur

The newly sworn-in Minister for Health, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, has revealed how he almost called for the abrogation of the €50 million La General Hospital contract, due to slow pace of work by the contractors working on the project.

The medical practitioner cum politician said, at a point he had to warn the contractors that he would be forced to recommend termination of their contract, if he did not see speedy work on the project.

Dr Oko Boye said his action, was informed by the slow-movement of work on the demolished hospital after it stalled for four years.

Interestingly, he said, after his meeting with the contractors and expressing his concern, things have drastically changed for the better, indicating his checks have shown that, there is much progress now and he is satisfied.

“I am happy with piece of work. In fact, when I met them, even I will not use the word threatened but, mentioned that we will not hesitate to recommend termination, they have doubled their work force by three folds”, the Minister said.

Speaking on Metro television’s Good Morning Ghana prgramme on Wednesday, May 22, the physician, said the hospital which is just a town away from his constituency Teshie, is a priority to him.

He said, he will see to it that the project is executed as promised by the Akufo-Addo government.

According to Dr Oko Boye, “the project is something that is fit for purpose. It is going to have accommodation quarters which the previous facility didn’t have. It is going to have modern theaters, OPD and all that”.

He told host of the show, Dr Randy Abbey that so far, the Chinese company, has tripled its workforce from 80 to 200 and it has changed it Country Manager and brought a new one from China to hasten the work.

“Formerly, there was about 80 workers, so I asked them what is the maximum number of workers that will ensure that you work at optimal capacity, full force and they said about 200.

So, I asked the contractors and in order to show us that they are serious they have replaced their country manager so a new one has been brought from China and I think that the next time when I when I am coning will try and get you latest pictures”, he added.

He indicated that, the contractors have not been changed.

Dr Boye, said he made it clear to the contractors that it will be in their interest to increase the pace, because he was becoming tired of answering questions on the project in the media.

He , he expects the work on the project to progress from the current foundation level to a height where people monitoring can see it progressing.

“This effort to try and explain to Randy every morning we are tired let your project go beyond the walls that is the threshed I used. Once your project goes beyond the walls I don’t need to be telling people that you are working. So, I told them that for me it is the minimum I am expecting. And doc, I think although I am not a quantity surveyor or a project expert that made a lot of sense to them that the whole world wants to see what you are doing then fortunately for you or unfortunately you have the previous wall still standing so once you are caught up in the foundation or whatever, nobody cares about what you are doing. I have prioritized that project and we will work seriously on it”, he added.

Visit by The Anchor  

Meanwhile, this paper, has visited the project site at La to monitor the situation.

As at yesterday when this journalist arrived at the site, workers were busy working. Even though a chunk of the construction is still at the foundation level, a lot appears to be ongoing.

Contractors

The La General Hospital redevelopment project contract was awarded to HEDEBI JV, in partnership with Rizzani de Eocher, Bergamo and Hospital Engineering Gmbh.

Poly Chanda Overseas Engineering Company Limited, is expected to execute the reconstruction.

The sod was cut by President Akufo-Addo in August 2020, and it was expected to be completed within three years.

The redevelopment project which has tall walls built around it, making it difficult to see everything, one can peep through at the entrance from a distance as the contractors do not allow anyone to get close with their cameras.

One significant thing that was noticed was that, there was an aspect of the project located at a distance that had come up a lot more than the rest, almost at lintel level.

Residents speaks

Residents said, they are expectant of the project after it was delayed for years.

President Akufo-Addo at the sod cutting ceremony in 2020, in a speech disclosed that the redevelopment project became necessary after a report from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), which indicated that the five-story structure of the hospital, was no longer fit for purpose.

“This redevelopment project is being financed by a credit facility from the Standard Chartered Bank of the United Kingdom, with an export credit guaranteed from Syno Shore from the People’s Republic of China to the tune of sixty eight million Euros (€68,000,000.00) with an insurance cover of three million, eight hundred and sixty thousand Euros,” President Akufo-Addo said.

“Upon completion, it will be transformed into a one hundred and sixty (160) bed facility. It will be fitted with; an out-patient department, in patient wards, maternal and neonatal services, surgical unit with four theatres, accident and emergency department, public health department, pharmacy unit, laboratory, administration, imaging area with CT scan, x ray room, ultrasound, flouroscopy, mammography units, physiotherapy unit and a mortuary,” President Akufo-Addo added.

Source: Anchorghana.com