Accra Psychiatric Hospital to be redeveloped under Agenda 111

The Accra Psychiatric Hospital is to be redeveloped into a new modern 220- bed Psychiatric Hospital under the Agenda 111 programme.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, the Minister of Health, who stated this in a Facebook post, dismissed reports suggesting that the Hospital had been sold to a private developer.

The Minister explained that the redevelopment of the Hospital would be done under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract.

“The story making rounds that the Accra Psychiatric Hospital has been sold is not TRUE. It hasn’t been sold. It is to be redeveloped under Agenda 111 into a new modern 220-bed Psychiatric Hospital under an EPC Contract,” Mr Manu said.

“Tenders have been received and are being evaluated currently. Afterwards, it will go for VFM, Cabinet and loan will go for Parliamentary approval,” he added.

The Minister said staff of the Hospital “might be relocated” to the Pantang Hospital to pave way for the redevelopment.

He said the authorities would ensure that until all processes were completed and the contractor was ready to commence work, the staff would not be relocated.

In August 2021, the Government secured a US$100-million start-up fund through the Ghana Investment Infrastructure Fund (GIIF) for the commencement of work on selected hospital projects under the Agenda 111 programme.

Under the programme, government intends to construct 101 hospitals in districts where there are no hospitals as part of measures to achieve universal health coverage and enhance access to quality healthcare.

The Government also intends to construct 6 Regional Hospitals in newly created regions, as well as one Regional Hospital in the Western Region.

The programme also includes the establishment of two psychiatric hospitals for the middle and the southern belts, seven regional hospitals and the rehabilitation of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

Situated at Adabraka in Accra, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was constructed in 1904 and was called Lunatic Asylum. The facility accommodated 200 patients at the time.

The Hospital at the time consisted of four wards; Female, Male, General and Criminal wards. The Lunatic Asylum later underwent modifications and extension into the Psychiatric Hospital with a bed capacity of 600.