The Coalition of La Youth Association has outlined plans to mobilize resources for the construction of the La General Hospital, following Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s disclosure that funding for the project had been delayed due to Ghana’s economic challenges.
The spokesperson for the La Youth Association, Jeffery Tetteh detailed their strategy in a media interview.
He mentioned that leveraging the contributions of the 90 clan houses in La, combined with support from the diaspora, would be instrumental in raising the necessary funds for the reconstruction.
Mr. Tetteh emphasized that the association’s petition to the Minister of Health, submitted in April, included these plans, yet they are still awaiting feedback.
He also expressed disappointment with Regional Minister Henry Quartey for not taking a more assertive stance in advocating for the hospital’s reconstruction.
“There are about 90 clan houses in La. This means every Sunday there’s more like a social gathering and we’re able to raise monies to do social activities for ourselves, every clan house. Assuming out of the 90 clan houses every house is providing one trip of sand, 1 trip of stones, 50 bags of cement maybe 1000 pieces of cement blocks and then some cash to support and then 90 clan houses, just put this calculation together and see how much we’ll be able to raise.
“We have done our survey and we have a lot of our people who are ready to come in with funding and support and that is how we’re going to engage a contractor with the funding we’re going to get from our brothers from the diaspora to now bring in the heavy equipment that will be used to do the construction and this is simply how we’re going to do it. I tell you we’ll be able to construct the hospital the same plan they have with less than the 68 Euros.”
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu recently attributed the delay in reconstructing the La General Hospital to withheld funds from project sponsors, linked to Ghana’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The release of funds is contingent on Ghana receiving approval from the IMF, prompting the government to consider integrating the hospital project into the Agenda 111 framework, potentially requiring a scaled-down approach.
The La General Hospital, plagued by structural issues, was demolished in July 2020. The contrasting opinions and potential protests reflect the heightened tensions surrounding this crucial reconstruction, with both the Minority and Majority voicing their concerns and positions on the matter.
Source: Ernest K. Arhinful
