Agenda 111: “It was not prudent to start 111 hospitals at once” – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has strongly criticised the previous Akufo-Addo administration over the implementation of the Agenda 111 hospital initiative, describing the decision to begin construction of all 111 hospitals simultaneously as financially imprudent and poorly planned.

Speaking during a meeting with the Northern Regional House of Chiefs on Friday, May 15, before departing for Geneva for an international engagement, President Mahama questioned the strategy behind the large-scale healthcare infrastructure programme.

According to him, the government should have adopted a phased approach instead of attempting to execute all the projects at once.

“When the Agenda 111 hospitals… I don’t think it was a very prudent idea to start 111 hospitals at the same time. At least they should have been phased out,” President Mahama stated.

The President explained that while some of the hospital projects had progressed beyond the foundation stage, many others had experienced significant delays, poor execution and funding challenges.

He further alleged that some contractors received mobilisation funds but failed to return to project sites to continue work.

“With some of the projects, people took the mobilisation and never went to the site,” he disclosed.

President Mahama revealed that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has been tasked with investigating contractors suspected of abandoning projects after receiving payments.

“EOCO is going after them,” he assured the chiefs, indicating that government intends to recover public funds and hold defaulting contractors accountable.

Despite criticising the implementation of the programme, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the hospital projects are eventually completed to improve healthcare delivery across the country.

According to him, government has now reviewed the programme and adopted a more practical completion strategy focused on prioritising facilities that are already close to completion.

President Mahama disclosed that the current administration intends to complete 35 of the hospitals first before expanding work to additional projects in phases.

He said the government plans to allocate additional resources in future national budgets to support the gradual completion of the remaining hospitals.

The President also announced plans to involve faith-based healthcare institutions in the restructuring process by encouraging them to adopt and help complete some of the stalled facilities.

“We’re also inviting faith-based organisations that run hospitals to adopt some of the hospitals that they think they can complete and bring into operation,” he stated.

According to President Mahama, partnerships with religious and mission-based health institutions could help accelerate the operationalisation of some facilities while reducing pressure on government finances.

The Agenda 111 initiative was launched under the Akufo-Addo administration as one of Ghana’s largest healthcare infrastructure projects aimed at improving access to quality healthcare services nationwide.

The programme sought to construct district hospitals, regional hospitals and specialised healthcare facilities across the country, particularly in underserved areas.

However, the initiative has faced persistent criticism over delays, funding constraints, rising project costs and allegations of poor project management.

Several of the hospital projects remain incomplete years after their launch, raising concerns about value for money and the pace of healthcare infrastructure development.

President Mahama’s comments come amid ongoing national discussions about public spending efficiency, accountability in government projects and the need to improve healthcare delivery systems across Ghana.

The government’s revised approach is expected to focus on phased completion, stronger oversight mechanisms and strategic partnerships aimed at ensuring that completed hospitals become fully operational and accessible to communities in need.