Government has allocated GH₵600 million to begin construction of regional hospitals in Savannah, Oti, and Western North regions in 2026, addressing a seven-year gap that left six regions without such facilities.
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh announced the development at the accountability series press briefing on Monday, saying the projects form part of government’s commitment to complete abandoned health infrastructure.
“His Excellency promised the good people of this country that he was going to construct six regional hospitals in regions where there are none. Fortunately enough, in the 2026 budget, we are going to begin the construction of three regional hospitals,” Akandoh stated.
The Minister said government will not abandon any uncompleted health facility, promising to continue work on La General Hospital, Komfo Anokye Maternity Block, Sekyere Regional Hospital, Agenda 111 projects, and CHIPS compounds across districts.
In separate remarks, Akandoh questioned the value of the Zipline drone service contract signed in 2018, revealing Ghana pays over $500,000 monthly despite most deliveries not serving hard-to-reach areas or emergencies.
The Minister disclosed that government pays $88,000 per center per month for six centers operating under the contract that took effect in 2019.
“Hard-to-reach areas constitute only 12% of the activities. And emergency services is 4% of the activities,” Akandoh said.
He revealed that items transported by the drones include condoms, blood donor cards, mosquito nets, food and nutrition items, adhesive tapes, syringes and needles, educational materials, textbooks, exercise books, and uniforms.
The Minister referenced parliamentary debates from 2018 where the then health minister stated the contract would not be paid from the consolidated fund or public purse, but said government has since paid substantial amounts to Zipline.
“Apart from saying this on the floor of the house, government of Ghana has paid a lot of money to the Zipline,” Akandoh stated, quoting the former minister’s assurance that the finance minister’s signature was missing because “this is not going to be done from the consolidated account.”
He clarified that government is not disengaging from Zipline but renegotiating for value for money, having met more than three times with the company.
“When we came to office, we think that there must be value for money. And therefore we are engaging them,” the Minister explained, adding that President Mahama has directed all ministries to ensure value for money in their operations.
The drone service was originally intended to concentrate on hard-to-reach areas and emergency services, but the Minister said a review showed these categories represent only 16% of total activities combined.
On the hospital construction, Akandoh said the 2026 health budget is “the most people-focused and health-centered budget I have seen in recent years,” with GH₵34 billion allocated to the sector—representing a 9.4% increase and more than 11% of total government expenditure.
He added that every district is expected to construct at least two CHIPS compounds annually as part of expanding primary health care infrastructure nationwide.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
