La General Hospital project expected to be completed by end of 2027 – Health Minister

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says the La General Hospital project, valued at €50 million, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with about €15 million paid so far.

He gave the timeline during a visit to the project site on Thursday, October 29, 2026, to assess construction progress and identify any challenges that could affect the completion deadline.

Mr Akandoh said construction was progressing, adding that the contractor could not cite delayed payments as an excuse for slowing down work, as the government had processed the latest interim payment certificate.

“This is quite an impressive development, but they can speed up so that we can beat the deadline,” he said.

“The whole project is 50 million euros and we've paid about 15 million euros. It includes the hospital equipment, and so now they are at the civil end. When they finish, then they will do the installation and that's where we also pay as and when they install. The completion date we are looking at is by the end of 2027,” he added.

The Minister explained that the project cost covers both construction and hospital equipment, with further payments to be made as equipment is installed.

He also stressed the need to prioritise the hospital’s emergency unit to help address the persistent problem of patients being turned away from health facilities because of inadequate emergency beds.

Mr Akandoh cited Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which has a capacity of more than 1,000 beds but approximately 65 emergency beds, as an example of the gap between general bed capacity and emergency care needs.

He suggested that emergency beds should account for at least 10 per cent of a hospital’s total bed capacity, noting that the country’s growing population required health facilities to plan adequately for emergency cases.

“We learn from experience. Going forward, we correct what we have come to meet,” he said, emphasising the need to improve emergency care provision in new and existing health facilities.