Asantehene launches ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ Fund

The Asantehene has launched the ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ fund to raise $10 million to put Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital in a befitting shape.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II described the current state of the hospital as apologetic and embarrassing.

“The leaking roofs, exposure of electrical cables, and cracked walls are shameful. Let’s all put politics aside and join hands to fix this embarrassing situation. Collectively, we can raise 10 million dollars and give a facelift to this hospital”, Asantehene pointed out at the launching ceremony.

The facility receives referrals from 12 out of the 16 regions of Ghana but cannot provide a comfortable healing environment currently.

The Chief Executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Professor Dr. Otchere Addai-Mensah, lamented over the current state of the facility.

“The persistent overutilization has led this hitherto impressive structure into a state that is simply unfit for the provision of quality healthcare services.

Everything has deteriorated beyond maintenance due to the fact that the facility has never undergone any comprehensive renovation in its close to 70 years of existence.

This dire state of affairs is getting worse by the day, and we are reaching a point where, if nothing is done immediately, the old blocks could soon suffer a catastrophic structural failure with dire consequences for healthcare services in the Ashanti Region and beyond.”

To raise the $10 million for the project, the overlord of the Ashanti kingdom is seeking support from the business community, all 47 Members of Parliament in the region, MMDCEs, religious bodies, actors and actresses, and every other person to contribute.

“The money looks huge, but if every single person contributes his or her widow’s mite, we will get it in the shortest time. The hospital is sick, and we must heal it now”, Otumfuo said.

The ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ project will ensure the facility is renovated to provide a safe and conducive healing environment by mid-2024 as part of Asantehene’s 25th-anniversary legacy projects.