The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has cut sod for work to begin on the construction of an ultramodern hospital for the West Mamprusi District at Walewale in the North East Region.

When completed in 12 months, the 100-bed hospital will have the complement of facilities and units of a modern health delivery facility, including Pharmacy and Physiotherapy units, General laboratory and Radiology lab, an Eye unit, Dental unit, Clinical Specialists Unit (CSU), Theatre and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Obstetrics and Gynecology unit, Medical wards, Mortuary, Central Sterilisation unit, Laundry and dining hall, as well as state-of-the-art equipment needed for contemporary health care delivery.

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is facilitating its construction.

Addressing the chiefs and people on Monday, 16 December 2019, Dr Bawumia recalled the promise made by the NPP to facilitate the delivery of quality healthcare, which has led to the construction, completion and upgrading of several health facilities and the engagement of thousands of unemployed health workers, as well as improvement of the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“To improve healthcare delivery, the NPP, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, promised to make health services accessible to every Ghanaian.

“Today, we are witnessing more than a fulfilment of a pledge. With the support of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Walewale Municipality will benefit from an ultramodern hospital. This will be the first of its kind in the North East Region.

“When completed, it will complement the already-existing district hospital in the provision of primary healthcare to the people of the municipality and the region at large. We will continue to support the existing health facility as we have done in the past,” Dr Bawumia pledged.

Speaking on behalf of GNPC, Dr Kwame Baah Nuakoh, General Manager, Sustainability, pledged his outfit’s commitment to ensure the successful completion of the project in the stipulated period, emphasising that a healthy populace is a wealthy one.

Dr Bawumia had earlier cut the sod for work to begin on a Watermelon processing factory at Walewale as part of the government’s industrialisation agenda of ‘One District-One Factory.’

When operational by the end of 2020, the factory, facilitated by the Ghana Exim Bank, will virtually eliminate the yearly ritual of huge post-harvest losses in the Watermelon-growing enclave of Walewale and its surrounding towns and villages, and help improve the lives of the citizens.

Dr Bawumia also inspected ongoing works on an Astroturf football pitch, which is 95% complete, and interacted with the contractor and workers.