The Liberal Institute for Policy Studies (LIPS), a new Think Tank with leanings to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been launched in Kumasi with the objective of using research to shape Ghana’s politics and policy.
Executive Director, Dr Keskine Owusu Poku, says the group plans to evaluate the performances of the two dominant political parties, the NPP and the NDC in terms of their delivery of development projects, particularly in the Ashanti Region.
The group claims the ruling New Patriotic Party has performed creditably better than the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in health infrastructure.
Three variables served as the foundation for the research in analyzing the results of their study on healthcare initiatives and hospital infrastructure interventions.
These variables were, projects inherited, projects initiated and projects commissioned within the two term periods of the NDC (2009-2016) and the NPP (2017 -2024).
The group noted that the NDC did not complete any inherited hospital projects from previous governments in its 8 years (2009-2016) such as the Bekwai, Konongo, Tepa, Sawua and Afari as well as the KNUST 800-bed Hospital.
In sharp contrast, the NPP, according to Dr Owusu Poku, sought additional funding in 2019 to complete the age-long Bekwai hospital and commissioned the same for use in 2021.
Out of the four Eurojet projects, he noted that three of the facilities have been completed with two, Konongo and Tepa district hospitals in use.
According to the Think tank, the NDC did not complete nor commissioned any of the hospitals it initiated in the Ashanti Region from 2009 to 2016.
Dr Owusu Poku noted the NDC, however, initiated two hospital projects which were the Fomena and Kumawu District Hospitals under the NMS projects in 2014 but none was completed nor commissioned for use.
However, the NPP in eight years has initiated 24 new hospital projects with 19 under the Agenda 111 and five under the VAMED project.
He stated that while the five projects under the VAMED – Sabronum, Manso-Nkwanta, Suame-Anomangye, Drobonso and Twedie – are completed and handed over to the government, while the Agenda 111 projects are at various stages of completion.
“We can therefore say that in the context of health infrastructure for the Ashanti Region, the NPP stands unparalleled,” said Dr Owusu Poku.
The Founding Members of the LIPS Think Tank are Professor Dr Dr Otchere Addai-Mensah, President, Dr Keskine Owusu Poku, Executive Director and Victor Osei Poku.
The others are Director of Research, Mr Essel-Mills, Director of Administration and Finance and Jimmy Boahie-Ansah, Director of Policy Direction and Monitoring, with Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health Services serving as Special Consultant to LIPS.