The Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, has disclosed that the hospital's Sickle Cell and Blood Bank project has stalled due to a $1.6 million legal dispute between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the contractor. The project, which was 72 per cent complete, had been sponsored by GNPC with the Ghana Sickle Cell Foundation playing a leading role in discussions towards its implementation.
Dr Baidoo made the disclosure when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, October 8, to provide an update on the project, which had been raised in the hospital's previous audit report. He said KATH had subsequently written to the Ghana Sickle Cell Foundation requesting that the project be handed over to the hospital if GNPC was no longer prepared to fund it.
According to Dr Baidoo, the contractor had resorted to legal action after the project made no progress since 2022. The contractor is demanding $1.6 million from GNPC, which has indicated that up to $2 million would be required to complete the project. GNPC would prefer to use the funds to complete the facility rather than pay the contractor as a judgment debt.
The PAC Chairperson, Abena Osei-Asare, questioned the extent of KATH's efforts to resolve the matter, particularly as the project was reportedly 72 per cent complete. She demanded evidence that the hospital had formally written to GNPC and followed up on the matter. Ms Osei-Asare expressed concerns that prolonged abandonment could increase the eventual cost of completion.
Ms Osei-Asare rejected reliance on verbal explanations concerning the legal dispute and insisted that KATH provide formal correspondence to support its account. She criticised KATH management over its 2024 report, accusing the institution of failing to address the issues as expected. However, she assured the hospital that the committee would work with management to resolve the outstanding matters.
Dr Baidoo added that he had met the Chief Executive Officer of GNPC to appeal for action to be expedited, given the importance of the project to the hospital. He said efforts to move the project forward had been complicated by a legal dispute between GNPC and the contractor, which was before the courts.
The stalled project has significant implications for the hospital's ability to provide critical healthcare services. The hospital is taking steps to encourage GNPC and the contractor to resolve the dispute and allow work to resume. The project's completion is crucial to addressing the country's sickle cell and blood bank needs.
Key points
- The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital's Sickle Cell and Blood Bank project has stalled due to a $1.6 million legal dispute between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and the contractor.
- The project was 72 per cent complete but has made no progress since 2022.
- The hospital is seeking a resolution to the dispute to ensure the project's completion and the provision of critical healthcare services.
