The Consultant Project Manager for the stalled Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Mother and Baby Unit, Emmanuel Fobi Asabere, has lamented persistent non-payment to the contractor, warning that prolonged delays are exposing procured construction materials to deterioration and the loss of warranty protections.
He said some materials purchased for the project have already become defective or expired, while others risk losing their warranty coverage as the project remains suspended.
Mr. Asabere disclosed this when members of Parliament’s Select Committee on Health paid a working visit to the abandoned facility in Kumasi to assess the project’s status and challenges.
According to him, the contractor has been unable to resume full-scale construction because payments for work undertaken have not been honoured, forcing the project into repeated suspensions.
Mr. Asabere explained that the contractor had continued maintaining the site during the suspension periods, but the prolonged delays were undermining efforts to complete the facility and protect investments already made.
The Mother and Baby Unit project was initiated in November 2019, with the original plan being to complete an existing hospital structure with a capacity of about 850 beds.
However, Mr. Asabere said an assessment conducted after the contractor took over the site revealed serious structural defects in the existing building.
Three other firms, together with the Ghana Institution of Engineers, were subsequently engaged to assess the structure and determine the appropriate course of action.
The assessment concluded that the cost of repairing the existing building was not economically advisable, leading to a decision to demolish the structure and redesign the project.
The facility was consequently redesigned as a 509-bed hospital, with the contractor undertaking the demolition of the old structure alongside the construction of the new facility.
The initial project cost was GH¢188.5 million, although Mr. Asabere said the prolonged suspensions had resulted in additional costs.
Providing an update on the project’s progress, Mr. Asabere said physical construction was approximately 56 per cent complete, while procurement had reached 75 per cent.
He also indicated that the design works had been completed and the demolition of the old structure was 100 per cent complete.
The project is being executed under a design-and-build contract, which places responsibility on the contractor for the design, construction, equipping and eventual handover of the facility, including the training of personnel.
Mr. Asabere said the contractor had procured several materials and equipment, including air-conditioning systems, electrical components and the building facade materials required to enclose the structure.
However, the prolonged suspension has created uncertainty over the condition and usability of some of the items held in storage.
The consultant project manager warned that the delays could undermine the warranties intended to protect the project and its eventual users.
He explained that some of the procured materials carry warranty periods, meaning prolonged delays before installation and commissioning could reduce the period of protection available once the facility becomes operational.
According to him, some materials have also become defective or passed their expiration dates, while others may require revalidation from their respective manufacturers before they can be used.
He said the contractor was keeping the procured items in a warehouse near Ridge Course, awaiting the resumption of construction.
Mr. Asabere stressed that uncertainty over when work would resume was making it difficult to determine the extent to which some materials could be preserved or revalidated.
Mr. Asabere said the project had experienced two major suspensions, with construction previously continuing at a reduced pace because of outstanding payments.
He noted that the contractor had made efforts to maintain the site during the suspension periods while stakeholders continued discussions to find a way to restart construction.
He appealed for the necessary financial commitments to enable the contractor to return to the site and accelerate work towards completing the facility.
The completion of the Mother and Baby Unit is expected to expand specialised maternal and child healthcare capacity at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, one of Ghana’s major referral facilities.
The latest concerns over payment delays and the condition of procured materials raise fresh questions about the timeline for completing the project and the additional costs that could arise if construction remains suspended.
