President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has acknowledged Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for conceiving the idea of establishing hospitals in districts without district hospitals.

During his visit to the Northern Region on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo praised Dr. Bawumia’s foresight and dedication to national development. He recounted how the concept was born at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a significant moment in our nation’s history,” the President shared. “In late 2020 or early 2021, Dr. Bawumia walked into my office—no appointment, just as he does when he has something urgent to discuss. He informed me that his research team had discovered a concerning issue: out of the 260 districts in Ghana, 88 had no district hospitals. I was stunned when I heard this.”

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the President immediately sought advice from his Presidential Health Advisor, Dr. Nsiah Asare, to verify the information. “Dr. Asare later confirmed that the figure was even higher—101 districts lacked hospitals.”

The President further explained how this discovery laid the foundation for Agenda 111, a comprehensive project to address healthcare gaps. “Along with the 101 district hospitals, we also planned six regional hospitals for the new regions, one for the Western Region, and three psychiatric hospitals. This is how Agenda 111 was born.”

Akufo-Addo commended Dr. Bawumia’s continuous efforts toward national progress, saying, “This is a man who thinks about the country all the time. He’s the kind of person you can entrust with leadership.”

The audience responded with applause as the President revealed the backstory behind the Agenda 111 project.