Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to avoid knee-jerk promises that appear reactive rather than product of critical thinking and a well-coordinated response to an existing or emerging problem.

In his view, the citizens should ignore empty promises and embrace decisions born out of strong convictions that have basis and solidified in a clear cut policy.

Mr Mahama said this while critiquing President Akufo-Addo’s promise made to build some 94 hospitals in a programme dubbed “Digital conversation” held on healthcare and infrastructure, streamed live on Facebook on April 30.

He stated: “While more investment is required to augment the existing health infrastructure, it is important that the plan to do so is credible and clearly thought through. What we should avoid is knee-jerk promises that appear reactive rather than product of critical thinking and a well-coordinated response to an existing or emerging problem.”

According to him, he believes in a well thought-out and forward looking agenda, which ensure further strategic investments in the country’s health sector to meet contemporary and future challenges.

By this, he rubbishes President Akudo-Addo’s promise made to Ghanaians to provide additional hospitals within a shortest time, saying “…the promise to construct 94 new hospitals in one year is understandable, considering his rather tall list of unfulfilled or poorly implemented promises from year to year.”

He added that if the President had continued with his health projects, Ghana would have one of the robust health sector and none of the citizens would have died as a result of the no-bed syndrome and COVID-19 patients would also have gotten treated across the country.

Mr Mahama explained that part of the reasons that the current government has abandoned most of these hospital projects, despite the availability of fund for continuation and completion, was due to “fruitless and malice driven value for money audits that yielded virtually nothing.”

He further revealed that some of the projects were stalled because the project managers were asked by the government to pay duties and taxes on the materials and equipment at the ports even though they had valid exemption granted by the Parliament of Ghana.

As a result, the once Member of Parliament the accused President Akufo-Addo of putting politics ahead of the citizenry.

The Former President complained bitterly why ultramodern hospitals like the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Bank of Ghana and International Maritime hospitals are underutilised or not use.

According to him, some medical professionals were sent to Israel to be trained, specifically to be able to effectively manage the University Ghana Medical Centre, due to the modern equipment and other facilities deployed to be used, but unfortunately they are not been utilised.

He said the Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu misleading claim that the facility does not have a standby power system is nothing to go by.

Mr Mahama added that it only took one man to demonstrate and the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic for a part of the hospital to be opened to few patients.

“This is a 650-bed tier-4 hospital that can render a cutting edge services to our people,” he said.

He also promised to expand the health sector and other sectors of the economy if given the chance again.    

By Bernice Bessey