Ashanti Regional Minister Marvelled By Progress In KATH Maternity & Children’s Block
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah says he is marvelled at the progress in the construction of the maternity and Child Block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Inspecting the block, which was demolished earlier in 2021, the Minister recounted why they chose the option to demolish the over four (4) decade-old structure rather than to maintain it.
“At a point even though the contract had been signed, it became necessary that we needed to do structural integrity of the old building and after the structural integrity test, it failed and so there was a need to demolish the whole structure and rather put up a new structure.”
He admitted, “I’m marvelled at the rate at which we are moving.”
He expressed confidence in the Building Contractors, Contracta to complete the structure by April 2021.
“Almost all the projects they (Contracta) are undertaking within the region, they are delivering and I’m sure they will deliver on time…They will complete by April 2024.”
To Contrata, he said, “Thank you for the excellent work. We are very grateful to you.”
This was during one of the Ashanti Regional Minister’s inspections of selected ongoing projects in the region.
The projects included the Ahodwo to Trede Junction, Ahenemma Kokoben to Anwiankwanta Road projects by Kofi Job and Maternity and Children’s block at KATH, Race course, Central Market, and Kumasi Airport.
According to B&FT Online, construction of the Maternity and Children’s Block project began in 1976 as part of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Expansion Project but came to a dead stop in 1979. It was reactivated in 1999 under the administration of the first president of the 4th Republic, Jerry John Rawlings, but again stalled shortly afterward.
In 2004, the administration of the second president of the 4th Republic, John Agyekum Kufuor, took it up; but soon after he departed from office in January 2009, work on this project was discontinued until the assumption of office of another NPP administration – the Akufo-Addo government in 2017.
Source: Opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
