The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, welcomed a delegation from the Government of Italy to discuss ongoing collaboration aimed at retooling 37 selected public health facilities across Ghana.
The meeting focused on advancing discussions regarding a concessional loan agreement from the Italian Government to fund this retooling project, which was initiated in 2021. The initiative aims to transform clinical service delivery by equipping the targeted hospitals with modern medical equipment, replacing outdated tools, and ultimately reducing the overall institutional mortality rate.
During the meeting, Minister Akandoh outlined key government priorities in the health sector, including the construction of six additional regional hospitals in newly created regions, upgrading existing regional hospitals, and establishing a 500-bed Children’s and Fertility Centre of Excellence, among other initiatives.
He expressed gratitude for Italy’s commitment to Ghana’s health sector, describing the initiative as timely and critical for enhancing healthcare delivery across the country. Akandoh assured that personnel would be trained to operate and maintain the new equipment once procured.
The Italian delegation, led by Director General for Development Cooperation Stefano Gatti, announced that the project’s Concept Notes, Pre-feasibility, and Feasibility Studies have been completed and approved by Ghana’s Ministry of Finance. Gatti reaffirmed his government’s readiness to support the initiative through a concessional loan and expressed optimism that the partnership would yield lasting benefits for Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure.
The Ministry remains confident that with ongoing bilateral cooperation, the project will advance to its implementation phase, ensuring beneficiary health facilities receive the necessary equipment to meet their patients’ clinical needs.
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