The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has cited the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) as the reason for the delay in the reconstruction of La General Hospital.
The government has been criticized for not rebuilding the hospital, which was demolished in 2020. Dr. Okoe-Boye, speaking to journalists in Accra, clarified that the DDEP has significantly impacted the government’s project timelines.
“Because of the debt exchange programme, many finance houses, when we got into the global financial crisis, pulled away from the arrangements and that is why La General stalled.
“President Akufo-Addo called the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and said if the debt exchange will slow it, we will have to find money to pay from GoG and I am happy to announce that La General now is being built from the coffers of the government of Ghana with our taxpayers money at a cost of €50 million.”
Residents of La and surrounding areas have staged multiple protests over the delay in reconstruction work on the hospital, which was demolished due to safety concerns.