Tension at Afari Military Hospital as soldiers block Minority MPs’ inspection of abandoned facility
Minority Members on Parliament’s Health Committee are demanding the immediate completion and operationalisation of the over 500-bed Afari Military Hospital, which they say has been abandoned and left to deteriorate.
Chaos erupted at the facility in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region when soldiers stationed there confronted the Minority MPs and residents during an inspection visit.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers, led by Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, were touring the site to assess the condition of the long-abandoned hospital project.
After a brief inspection during which the MPs expressed concern over the overgrown and deteriorating state of the facility, military personnel stopped them, leading to a heated exchange. The soldiers insisted the MPs should have sought prior clearance before entering the premises.
The visit forms part of the Minority’s nationwide campaign to highlight abandoned health infrastructure projects, especially following recent disruptions at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Speaking after the incident, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie described the confrontation as unfortunate but maintained that the inspection was necessary to draw attention to the sorry state of critical health infrastructure.
“Nobody says these things are right, but it is necessary to put pressure on government. It is a tool for demonstration, a tool to express your feeling,” he said.
He further stressed the need for equitable development, adding that the Ashanti Region must not be left behind in the delivery of national infrastructure projects.
“Just as other regions matter, Ashanti also matters,” he added.
The incident has sparked fresh debate over security protocols at state facilities and growing public concern about the large number of abandoned health projects across the country.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
