The Communication Secretariat of National Democratic Congress (NDC) of the Tolon Constituency, has expressed disappointment over government’s inability to make the Tolon District Hospital operational since it was commissioned by the vice-president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in November 2020.
According to the largest opposition party, the newly constructed facility in the district is still under lock and key for more than eight months after it was commissioned to cater for the health needs of the residents of the area.
The NDC party in a statement copied to Diamond News indicated that illnesses that could have been treated at the facility are now being transported to other health facilities in Tamale as a results of the non-operationalization of the Tolon District Hospital.
The statement added that majority of families, who cannot afford to pay for ambulance services in order to lift their patients to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) or other hospitals, ended up losing their relatives. The NDC in their statement called on government to ensure that the facility begins to operate to full capacity to help save lives in the district.
“The facility has become a source of worry to the residents of the area,” the statement added.
“We the citizens as well as the NDC family in Tolon are appealing to Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Bawumia to make sure that the hospital starts work, because our people in the constituency are suffering, and not everyone can afford to pay for the ambulance to go to the regional capital for better health-care,” they stated.
Read full statement below:
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
TOLON CONSTITUENCY COMMUNICATION SECRETARIAT,
TOLON, NR
Friday, 18th June 2021
Press Release
For Immediate Release
We wish to express our frustration, anger and disappointment in the corrupt and borrowing Nana Addo-Bawumia government inability to make Tolon District hospital operational since its so-called commissioning by our incompetent brother Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on the 23rd November 2020. The newly constructed facility in the district is still under lock for more than eight good months after it was opened to begin rendering health care services to the residence of the area.
The non-operationalization of the facility, though it was inaugurated in haste with the usual fanfare ceremony, the facility has become a source of worry to the residents of the area.
We the citizens as well as the NDC family for Tolon are appealing to the incompetent Nana and Bawumia to make sure that hospital start working because our people in the constituency are suffering, and not everyone can afford to pay for the ambulance to go to the regional capital for better health-care, the so-called completed Tolon District hospital remains under lock and key.
The good people of Tolon constituency are worried that, the hospital is not operational, however the illness that could be treated in the district hospital would have to transport the patients to the regional hospital and because of the peoples inability of the good people can not afford to pay for the ambulance services, we end up lossing family and friends.
We, vehemently disputed by the ruling NPP government that the Tolon hospital project is a legacy left behind by the NDC administration led by John Mahama and for that matter, Akufo Addo’s government knows nothing about the project.
The Tolon hospital and other similar projects were founded by John Mahama in April 2016 and the contract was awarded and signed with VAMED in September 2016.and for that matter, Akufo Addo’s government knows nothing about the project and the project knows nothing about Akufo Addo.
Tolon District hospital and the five other health facilities were externally funded by the John Mahama administration and the agreement for funding and construction of the facilities was submitted to parliament in March 2016 when NDC John Mahama was still in the office.
President Mahama gave executive approval to the credit agreement a day before it was sent to the parliament, a total amount of €89.9 million was sought from the Raiffeisen Bank international of Australia for the design, construction, equipping and furnishing of the five new district hospital which includes Tolon, Buipe, Sawla, Somanya, Weta and one polyclinic at Bamboi.
We, however, want to categorically state that in President Mahama’s last state of the nation address on January 5th 2017, he restated the fact that he had cut sod for the project to start.
Evidence showed that in the year 2017 budget statement (page113) read by the finance minister Hon. Ken Ofori Atta on March 2nd 2017, the minister said their government will continue the work that had started for the five districts hospitals which include Tolon District hospital as well as the polyclinic in Bamboi. This is a clear indication and acknowledgement by Akufo Addo’s cousin finance minister Mr Ken Ofori Atta that the project had commenced.
The Tolon hospital got parliamentary approval for its funding agreement, signing the agreement with the contractor and cutting sod for the commencement of construction before the Akufo Addo’s government assumed office. Ironically and characteristic of the incompetent Nana Addo-Bawumia government, they decided to recut another sod for the same projects just as they did to many other projects that started under President Mahama’s administration just to steal credit for such projects as Ghanaians have witnessed in the past 4 years under this clueless Nana-Bawumia government.
On 23rd November 2020, the second incompetent gentleman of the land Dr Mahamudu Bawumia came and deceived the chiefs and people of the district in the name of commissioning the facility which was supposed to be a 60-bed capacity ultramodern hospital for Tolon District, one of the six medical facilities President Mahama’s administration started work on.
The other facilities are an 80-bed hospital at Somanya in the Eastern Region, a 60-bed hospital at Sawla in the Savana Region, a 60-bed hospital at Weta in the Volta region and a 30-bed polyclinic at Bamboi in the Savana region.
We are, therefore, appealing to the incompetent Nana-Bawumia government to listen to the cry of the good people of Tolon and ensure that the district hospital facility which is the legacy of President Mahama’s government is operationalized immediately without any further delay.
It is our hope and belief that this press release will receive the serious attention that it deserves for the government to ensure that the Tolon hospital starts operation.
Issah Khalid Dokurugu
Deputy Communication Officer, NDC
Tolon Constituency, N/R
0204678109/0243902182
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Story By: Alhassan Yakubu
