Akwasi Acquah drags Mahama for introducing ‘kiosks’ into Ghana's healthcare system

Alexander Akwasi Acquah, MP for Akim Oda and former Deputy Health Minister, has raised concerns that, rather than concentrating on completing the Agenda 111 hospitals to meet current standards, President John Dramani Mahama is sending Ghanaians back to the 1970s by establishing ‘health kiosks’.

Speaking on Oman FM, Hon. Acquah stated that it is concerning that Ghanaians may soon begin making fun of the President for not concentrating on health facilities that are more relevant to contemporary living.

The Agenda 111 hospitals project started by the erstwhile Nana Akufo-Addo administration has come to a standstill due to the change of government, with President Mahama promising to restart the project with backing from the international community.

Recently, the President commissioned a comprehensive package of medical equipment, tricycles, motorcycles, and community health infrastructure to improve healthcare service delivery throughout the country. The commissioning is part of the official launch of the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) plan.

Reacting to this, the Oda MP stated that the government should take decisive measures regarding health issues in the nation since illness does not respect any individual. He said that the completion of the Agenda 111 hospitals will lessen the existing strain on the country's other medical facilities, particularly government hospitals.

“Ghanaians who are aware that the Agenda 111 hospitals have reached roughly 60–70% expect the current administration to carry out the project, but the government has simply rejected it and instead installed these small kiosks as public health facilities,” Akwasi Acquah said.

“If you keep doing this, people will make fun of you; the public will believe that you are taking them for granted,” he said, clarifying that, within the framework of the healthcare system, health posts were only operating effectively in the 1970s, while CHPS compounds are acceptable in today's healthcare system.

Mr. Acquah bemoaned the government's decision to terminate the Zipline contract for the delivery of vital medications by drone. He maintained that the arrangement was not as wasteful as the government claimed, and that its termination was solely done to discredit Dr. Bawumia, the former vice president who led Ghana's launch of medical drone delivery.

The MP also expressed dissatisfaction with the current administration for discontinuing the electronic folder system, which linked and networked Ghana's government hospitals. He claims that hospitals have returned to the previous folder system.