Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that the second Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) for contractors working on the La General Hospital project has been processed and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for payment.
During a visit to the project site with La Dadekotopon MP Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Minister addressed concerns from contractors about funding delays that had slowed construction.
Akandoh assured them that the government is taking steps to ensure steady progress.
“The second IPC has been raised, and we have forwarded it to the Ministry of Finance. We have done some follow-ups together with the Members of Parliament here, and the Ministry of Finance has assured us that it is committed to releasing the funds for this project.
I am happy that today, the workers are on site and are willing to make progress until payment is made,” he said.
He further expressed optimism that, barring any unforeseen setbacks, the hospital would be completed within the next two years.
“We will ensure that the next budget makes adequate provision for this project. We are not going to abandon it; we will continue until it is fully completed,” he added.
The La General Hospital was demolished in July 2020 after engineers declared the old structure unsafe for use.
The previous NPP administration had promised to reconstruct the hospital within a short time and even announced funding for the project, but the work stalled for years.
Factors such as financing difficulties, disruptions from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), and delays in releasing funds contributed to the project’s standstill.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
