Mahama to cut sod for three 160-Bed regional referral hospitals in Otu, Savannah and Western North

President John Dramani Mahama will, in the coming weeks, cut the sod for the construction of three 160-bed Regional Referral Hospitals in the Oti, Savannah and Western North Regions, Minister of State in charge of Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has announced.

The Minister made the announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 22, while sharing the architectural design for the proposed regional referral hospital in the Oti Region.

“As part of a broader strategy to improve healthcare in Ghana, President Mahama will cut the sod in the coming weeks for three 160-Bed Regional Referral Hospitals in the Oti, Savannah, and Western North Regions,” Kwakye Ofosu stated. Sharing the design of the Oti facility, he added: “Here is the design for the one in Oti”.

The planned sod-cutting ceremonies will mark the commencement of construction works on the three facilities, which are expected to provide additional capacity for specialised and referral healthcare services in the beneficiary regions. Details on estimated cost, contractors and specific completion timelines were not provided in the Minister’s post.

A Long-Overdue Intervention in Neglected Regions

The three regions are among the six new administrative regions created in 2019, which have operated without regional hospitals since their establishment. The absence of fully functioning regional referral facilities has forced residents to travel long distances to access specialised care, often with life-threatening consequences.

In the Western North Region, most serious medical cases are referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi — a journey of approximately three hours that significantly affects the timely delivery of quality healthcare. The region currently has nine districts with only seven hospitals, 30 health centres, 39 clinics, 252 CHPS compounds and 21 maternity homes, with its capital Sefwi Wiawso lacking a major referral facility.

The Oti Region has been described by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh as “one of the most deprived areas in terms of healthcare outcomes nationwide”. During a two-day working visit to the region in February 2026, it was revealed that out of 23 medical doctors posted to the region the previous year, only two reported for duty. The situation is compounded by critical infrastructure gaps, with only two of the nine municipal and district assemblies in the region reportedly having ambulances currently in working condition, the rest grounded or out of commission.

The Savannah Region, created in 2019 to serve the health needs of its people, still lacks critical laboratory infrastructure, according to a 2026 assessment. The region has 257 health facilities comprising five district hospitals, three other hospitals, six polyclinics, 32 health centres, 12 clinics, three maternity homes and 197 CHPS compounds — but no regional referral hospital.

Funding Already Allocated in 2026 Budget

The three hospital projects were already provided for in the 2026 Budget, which Parliament approved in November 2025 with a total allocation of GHC 22.8 billion for the Ministry of Health. The construction of the three regional hospitals in Western North, Savannah and Oti was explicitly listed among projects receiving the required approvals for commencement activities.

Health Minister Akandoh confirmed in December 2025 that construction would begin in 2026 with a budget allocation of GH¢600 million, and stressed that no uncompleted health project would be abandoned.

The initiative is part of a broader government commitment to build six new regional hospitals across the newly created regions by 2028. President Mahama has said three more hospitals will follow for the remaining new regions — Ahafo, Bono East and North East — by the end of 2028.

Private Sector to Be Engaged

The Health Minister has indicated that the private sector will be brought on board to re-tool hospitals across the country as part of the programme. “As part of the 2026 budget, we are going to start three regional hospitals, Savannah Region, Oti Region and Western North Region as the private sector would be brought on board to re-tool all the hospitals in Ghana,” Akandoh said in November 2025.

A System Under Strain

The announcement comes against the backdrop of a severely overstretched healthcare system. Ghana’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at approximately 1:6,500, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended 1:1,000. In some regions, the ratio is as high as 1:14,072.

The government has taken parallel measures to address the human resource crisis. President Mahama has directed that medical doctors be sent to every hospital across the country, including all districts, with a total of 700 medical doctors to be distributed nationwide. The government put about 13,500 nurses on payroll in 2025 and spent 500 million Ghana cedis on nursing trainees’ allowances, with another 231 million cedis in allowances scheduled for payment.

The government has also launched a Free Primary Healthcare programme, now operational in 135 districts across all 16 regions, with 4,447 primary healthcare facilities providing services to communities. The programme is expected to expand nationwide by 2028.

Political Context

The hospital projects carry significant political weight. The regions have historically been underserved in healthcare infrastructure, and the previous government under Nana Akufo-Addo had promised regional hospitals for the newly created regions but failed to deliver. Health Minister Akandoh noted in Parliament that it was hoped the previous administration would have built regional hospitals for the six new regions, but that did not happen, and President Mahama has now directed that construction should kick start in regions without them.

The sod-cutting ceremonies are expected to take place in the coming weeks, marking the formal commencement of construction. For residents of Oti, Savannah and Western North, the projects represent the first concrete step towards ending decades of reliance on distant referral facilities — and a test of the government’s ability to translate budget allocations into functioning healthcare infrastructure.