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RESIDENTS OF the Upper East region say they have lost hope in ever getting the 160-bed regional hospital promised them by President Mahama despite the latter�s reaffirmation of his promise. The president during his �Thank You Tour� of the region announced that government had approved funding from the Barclays Bank to finance construction of the Wa Regional Hospital after an earlier disappointment following the Arab Spring. According to him, all the necessary documentation was expected be done to allow work on the hospital to start as soon as possible. But at the time of DAILY GUIDE�s visit, the site looked deserted with no contractors around to suggest work was going to start. Residents claim that weeks after the president�s visit, they were yet to see any concrete work being done on the land earmarked for the project. Sections of them described the promise as a deliberate attempt to deceive them after cutting a sod for the project. Then Vice President Mahama graced the sod-cutting ceremony of the project on July 31, 2010 which was trumpeted NDC propagandists as one of its unprecedented achievements but the project site is still in its virgin state, overgrown with weeds. The government in 2010 entered into a contract with Euroget De-Invest SA for the construction of a regional hospital in Wa and a 500-bed military hospi�tal in Kumasi for the Ministry of Defense but these failed following upheavals in the Arab world. The project, according to DAILY GUIDE�s investigations is one of eight hospitals government allegedly awarded to Egyptian company EuroGet De-Invest S.A. under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra-Nandom, Ambrose P. Dery expressed doubts about its feasibility when it was announced but was tongue lashed by NDC spin doctors. The present state of affairs seems to vindicate the legislator over government�s ability to fulfill a promise long made to the people of the region. Prior to the sod-cutting ceremony, government said it was part of the launch of what it termed the Ghana-Eight Number Hospitals Project which include Twifo-Praso in the Central region; Konongo� Odumasi and Tepa in the Ashanti region; Nsawkaw in the Brong Ahafo region; Salaga in the Northern region and Adenta-Madina in the Greater Accra region Residents of the Upper West Region were made to believe their yet-to-be-constructed hospital would be equipped with new facilities including 160 beds to promote good healthcare delivery in the region. It was gathered that the Ghana Eight Number Hospitals project was a concessionary credit from EuroGet De-Invest S.A. of Egypt, and would cost $339 million but questions are being asked about why work had not commenced two years after the award of the contract. Angry residents say the undue delay would certainly make the NDC administration lose massive votes in the coming elections as it proved the project was a political gimmick.