The Heal Komfo Anokye Project, which aims to revitalize the aging Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, has been hampered by difficulties in clearing key supplies from the port.
According to graphic.com.gh, a shipment of imported tiles needed for the project has been held up at Tema Harbour, resulting in demurrage penalties.
According to the source, the project must pay about GH¢1.7 million in duties to release the 10 tile containers.
The Asantehene, in partnership with KATH, launched the Heal Komfo Anokye initiative, which aims to raise $10 million to rehabilitate the hospital’s Blocks A, B, C, and D.
This rehabilitation is critical for the 70-year-old tertiary facility and will serve as a legacy project for the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on his 25th anniversary.
Efforts to decrease remodeling expenses included requesting a duty waiver on project supplies and equipment from the government via the Ministry of Finance.
However, despite pleas and attempts by KATH’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, the ministry has neither acknowledged or responded to the waiver request.
According to reports, the project’s Chairman, Samuel Adu-Boakye, has underlined the need of government assistance in enabling project progress.
With only 39% of the $10 million objective met thus far, redirecting cash to pay import tariffs would jeopardize the project’s viability.
Adu-Boakye emphasized the project’s cost-cutting methods, which included importing certain components for quality and price benefits.
For example, importing tiles has resulted in savings of over 40% compared to purchasing locally.
Furthermore, procuring directly from manufacturers reduces supplier profit margins.
The urgency of the situation has led calls for government action, with the expectation that political leadership and the Asantehene will step in to help speed up the project’s completion.
KATH, Ghana’s only tertiary hospital in the middle belt, is vital to healthcare delivery, servicing patients from about 12 of the 16 regions.
The hospital has not undergone substantial modifications since its inception in 1954.
