The Member of Parliament for Effutu Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has responded to public scrutiny over his proposal for a new hospital dedicated to parliamentarians and the construction of a new parliamentary chamber.

In a lengthy post on his social media accounts on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the lawmaker addressed the incident, stating that his comments had been misrepresented by media reports. He expressed belief that these reports were ‘creating gross misconceptions’ about his position.

“I have noted the concerns raised regarding my comments on security and healthcare in Parliament during the inauguration of the 9th Parliamentary Service Board. Unfortunately, much of the media coverage of my comments has been misleading, creating gross misconceptions about my position. The discussion was centred on broader institutional needs, yet selective reporting has misrepresented the intent behind my remarks,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin, seeking to clarify the context of his proposal, explained that his remarks were in response to concerns initially raised by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, regarding Parliament’s security and the healthcare of lawmakers.

The politician stated that his suggestion for a new parliamentary chamber came after the Speaker highlighted the security vulnerabilities within the chamber, which expose lawmakers to potential threats and attacks.

“For clarity, my remarks were in response to issues first raised by the Speaker and were only re-echoing the vision of The Speaker for Parliament. The Speaker bemoaned the state of insecurity in Parliament, highlighting the vulnerability of MPs and Parliamentary Service staff to potential threats.

“In response, I suggested that if enhancing security within the current chamber is not feasible, we may have to consider a new chamber with the necessary security features to ensure a safer working environment,” he indicated.

Afenyo-Markin further clarified that his proposal was to upgrade the existing parliamentary clinic into an ultra-modern facility, similar to the 37 Military Hospital, rather than advocating for the construction of an entirely new hospital.

“On healthcare, the Speaker also raised concerns about medical care for MPs and Parliamentary Service staff. While Parliament currently has a clinic, I suggested that it could be upgraded into a Parliamentary Hospital, similar to the 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, Bank of Ghana Hospital, Cocoa Clinic and SSNIT Hospital.

“Such a facility would not only serve MPs and Parliamentary staff but also retired officers, retired MPs, and, where applicable, the general public. Although these hospitals by some state agencies are dedicated to their staff, they are equally open to the general public.”

However, he dismissed assertions that his proposal was an attempt to secure special privileges for lawmakers in the country.

He added, “This proposal should, therefore, not be misinterpreted as a call for special privileges, but rather as a functional necessity, just as other critical institutions such as the military, police, SSNIT, COCOBOD and Bank of Ghana have their own dedicated medical facilities.”

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

I have noted the concerns raised regarding my comments on security and healthcare in Parliament during the inauguration of the 9th Parliamentary Service Board.… pic.twitter.com/JMaeDl08DV

— Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin (@AfenyoMarkin) March 18, 2025