Chairman of the Greater Accra caucus of the Minority, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has said the caucus, along with residents of La and Ga Mashie, will stage a protest if the government does not allocate funding for the La General Hospital in the 2024 budget.

Speaking in Parliament, Tuesday, 7 November 2023, Mr Vanderpuye emphasised the Minority’s resolve.

“I am assuring you that, if we don't see it [La General hospital reconstruction] in the 2024 budget, we will not let the budget in this house pass. 

“We will ensure that proceedings will be disrupted until we find the inclusion of the La General Hospital in the budget. We will demonstrate that you are on our land. This will lead to another showdown,” the Chairman of the Greater Accra caucus stated.

He further added, “We will ensure that the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance will not have peace in their ministries. We are mobilising the people of La and Ga Mashie to occupy your offices if you do not prioritise the reconstruction of La General Hospital."

Meanwhile, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament, has shed light on the delay in reconstructing the La General Hospital in Accra, attributing it to the withholding of funds by the sponsors of the project.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu clarified that these sponsors had held back the funds due to Ghana's engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

“Mr Speaker, what has happened is that after the engagement with the IMF, funding from those sources that Parliament approved of, the funding has been withheld by the sponsors,” he explained. 

He also noted that the release of funds would be contingent on Ghana receiving a clean bill of health from the IMF, and in light of this, the government is considering incorporating the hospital project within the framework of Agenda 111, which may necessitate a scaled-down approach.

The La General Hospital, which faced severe structural problems, was demolished in July 2020. 

The conflicting views and threats of protests underline the heightened tensions surrounding the much-needed reconstruction of the facility, with both the Minority and Majority expressing their concerns and positions on the matter.