Ada is set to become home to a 3,000-acre, multi-billion-dollar Global Medical City, a major healthcare development expected to position Ghana as a regional centre for specialised medical care, research, education and innovation.
The project, an initiative of Africa’s Brain Bank Global, a US-based non-profit organisation, is expected to include a cluster of hospitals, specialist healthcare facilities, research and innovation centres, training institutions and digital health services.
Promoters say the development would help reduce the number of Africans travelling abroad for complex medical treatment while positioning Ghana as a destination for medical tourism and international healthcare collaboration.
At the sod-cutting ceremony at Togbloku in Ada last Monday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Group Chair of Africa’s Brain Bank Global, Rev. Dr Pam Fomunung, described health care as a key driver of economic development.
“Health care is more than a social service; it is an economic infrastructure,” she said.
Investment venture
Rev. Dr Fomunung said the vision for the project was conceived in 2019, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, efforts to revive the project began in 2023 following discussions with traditional authorities at Ada.
Rev. Dr Fomunung, who is also a development queenmother for the Amafuwe of Lomobiawe in Ada, said the project would require billions of dollars in investment and called on Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to invest in it.
“Though it is a multibillion-dollar project, I am only the visionary. The project would be owned by the people who finance it,” she said.
She said the initiative was intended to provide a platform for Africans to contribute to the development of healthcare infrastructure on the continent.
Dr Fomunung said the Global Medical City would go beyond healthcare delivery by creating opportunities in medical tourism, employment, research, investment, diaspora engagement and skills development.
She said the proposed development would focus on specialised healthcare services, advanced diagnostic and surgical systems, medical education and professional training, digital health care, telemedicine, research and international medical collaboration. It is also expected to create opportunities for local suppliers and service providers.
She emphasised that the project would operate as a business and investment venture rather than a charity, with investors expected to create jobs and provide training opportunities for people in the local community.
Phased development
A renowned Ghanaian plastic surgeon and Board President, Dr Michael Kwame Obeng, said the Medical City would be developed in phases, with the first building expected to be completed and operational within three to five years.
He said the facility would provide quaternary-level care, including highly specialised surgery and cancer treatment, reducing the need for Africans to travel overseas for complex procedures.
Dr Obeng added that the project would seek to attract leading doctors, scientists and researchers from around the world while creating opportunities for African medical professionals in the diaspora to return and practise on the continent.
“This is for the global African continent and beyond,” he said.
He further indicated that in the long term, the project would help retain medical expertise, investment and healthcare expenditure within Africa while positioning Ada as a significant hub for health care, research, innovation and medical tourism.
Strengthening African health care
Board member, Dr Rose Gana Fomban-Leke, described the project as an opportunity to strengthen Africa’s healthcare institutions while harnessing the expertise of medical professionals in the diaspora.
Support
The Divisional Chief of Lomobiawe, Nene Lomo IV, said the traditional authorities would work with the promoters to ensure the project’s success.
The Manklalo of the Ada Traditional Council, Nene Obichere Agudey III, called for greater African ownership of development and urged Africans to invest in local institutions, businesses and professional expertise.
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