Accra, Ghana, May 31, 2018//-The government of Ghana has finally set up an interim board to operationalise the $217 million University of Ghana Medical Centre as soon as possible.

The Board, chaired by Dr Anarfi Asamoah-Baah according to a statement from the Information Ministry “is to liaise with the Turnkey contractor, to test run the equipment and operationalise the facility with immediate effect.”

“As a first step, the interim board between now and July 2018 will complete the staffing process and ensure the provision of final logistics required for a smooth take-off,” the statement signed by Deputy Information Minister, Curtis Perry Kwabla-Okudzeto added.

The Information Ministry statement also said the government has “additionally secured funds to construct the phase 2 of the project which will enable it to function optimally.”

There has been intense pressure on the government from Citi FM and some civil society organisations to operationalise the health facility which has been locked since former President John Mahama commissioned it in 2017.

Citi News gathered that the facility which was scheduled to open in November 2017 was kept locked to the public due to a tussle between the Minister of Health and the University of Ghana over who manages the $217 million facility.

A student of the University of Ghana, Reginald Sekyi-Brown also began a social media campaign dubbed “Open UGMC Now” to force the government to open the facility.

He, however, run into trouble on Thursday after he tried interrupting a speech by the First Lady with a Placard.

Although the Police detained Reginald at Korle Bu where the First Lady cut the sod for the construction of a pediatric intensive care unit at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital, he was subsequently released.

Citinewsroom