The 120-bed capacity Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital in the Ashanti region is finally opened for public use after a 10-year wait.

Residents are excited they can now access healthcare at the facility after contractors, NMS Infrastructure Limited, handed it over to health authorities on Monday, April 14, 2024.

Health authorities say all departments will start operations latest by ending of May ahead of official commissioning.

However, the Maternity Unit and administration will begin work at the new facility on Tuesday, April 15, 2024.

Construction works on the 120-bed capacity Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital, a turnkey project, started in 2014.

Despite the project suffering undue delays due to funding constraints and re-variations that altered construction schedules, contractors delivered a world-class-standard health facility.

The facility comes with the full complement of a district hospital, with all the departments and units one can think of.

Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medicine, Surgery, Traditional Medicine, and Mortuary are some of the departments at the new Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital.

NMS Infrastructure Limited designed, constructed and equipped the new hospital, which will serve Asante Mampong, Nsuta, Beposo, Kwamang and its environs, as well as the Afram Plains, Kumawu and Effiduase areas.

Deputy Director of Health Services in Charge of Administration in the Ashanti region, Micah Asare Bediako says the movement of staff and all units from the old polyclinic will follow through a relocation plan.

“We’ve had our roadmap and movement plan. We’ve discussed it extensively with management and the district health directorate so immediately this project is handed over to us, tomorrow (Tuesday, April 15, 2024) the hospital administration, and maternity wing of the polyclinic will move into this place.”

Monday’s handover ceremony marks the end of several years of waiting by residents of Sekyere Kumawu and its environs, who, until now, were forced to access healthcare from an improvised polyclinic.

Mr Bediako expressed appreciation to traditional authorities in the area, officials of the Ministry of Health and the contractors, and NMSI for the good work done despite the project suffering delays.

“We would like to thank the Ministry of Health, Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health, the contractors; NMSI  for the good work that you have done,” he said.

In appreciation of the quality of work done, he added, “Although it has taken more time to complete this project, we appreciate the work that you have done.”

The handover ceremony and subsequent opening of the facility comes at a time when health authorities are battling the maternal mortality rate, which stands at 125 per 100,000 live births.

An elated Medical Superintendent of the Kumawu Polyclinic, Dr. Alex Agbanu, says residents have likened the new district hospital to a hotel due to its state-of-the-art installations.

“We’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time and I’m happy today, all of us have seen what we are seeing.”

“People come here and they wonder; is it a hospital or a hotel?”

Dr. Agbanu is hopeful the newly constructed facility will contribute to the health authority’s fight against maternal mortality cases in the area.

Aerial view of Doctors & Nurses Quarters

“The maternal mortality issues have not been too different from what pertains nationally and even in the region. Because we do not have the necessary equipment, what happens is sometimes we do refer some of the cases we don’t have the capacity to manage.”

“I think with this new facility and all the equipment it has and the personnel that are coming in, we would be able  to manage most of the cases.” Dr.Agbanu added.

Paediatric Ward at Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital

Among those who have heaved a sigh of relief are the staff of the Infrastructure Directorate of the Ministry of Health.

Their unrelenting efforts have paid off as the hospital is operationalized.

Head of Capital Investment and Project Management Unit, Ministry of Health, Kwame Amponsah Sarfo who was once summoned to appear before traditional authorities told JoyNews, “I am full of relief and I believe everybody, including, my director is relieved,” he said.

“Why do I say so, because at some point, we were summoned to the Chief’s palace to answer questions on why the project was not moving on and so for it to have come to fruition, it’s all good for us” He explained.

Meanwhile, the Director of NMS Infrastructure Limited, Stephen Bush, says his company is poised to deliver more world-class health infrastructure projects in Ghana.

NMS Infrastructure has received praise for delivering British-standard facilities at Dodowa in the Greater region, Adansi North Hospital at Fomena with Sekyere Kumasi District Hospital being the latest addition.

“We hope to continue with the health programme here. The original idea was to be here for a long time.”