Government has given the green light for demolishing of the 44-year-old abondoned maternity block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to pave ways for the construction of a new building.
President Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 15th May 2020, cut sod for the reactivation of work for the construction of the forty-four (44) year old Maternity and Children’s Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The project, which was being funded by the German Bank, Deutsche Bank, will cost €155 million and was expected to be completed within 36 months, with the construction being undertaken by Contracta.
The Maternity and Children’s Block was to be a state-of-the-art, modern health edifice, with paediatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics units.
It would have also served as a referral centre for twelve (12) of the sixteen (16) regions of our country. It was to have seven hundred and fifty (750)-bed building, with outpatient areas for adults and children, and it will have ten (10) operating theatres and diagnostic rooms, fully equipped with X-Ray, ultrasound, and mammography facilities among others.
However, ten months after the sod cutting, the government has received structural integrity test report from Contracta, a construction firm responsible for the completion of the project saying the structure must be pulled down.
According to the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, the building failed structural integrity test which calls for total demolishing.
“Currently we have launched stakeholder’s consultation on how best to bring the structure down without necessary coursing avoidable nuisance to people who live around the structure. I mean the Armed forces basic school, the military, KATH staff and patience on admission,” he said.
He added, “based on the report available to me, the building will collapse in future if they ignore technical advice from the construction firm. Because of the weak nature of the building as at now,’’ he disclosed.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Bediako Justice
