President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo says the realisation of the Agenda 111 will lead to Ghana becoming a centre of medical excellence and a destination for medical tourism.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Tuesday, he said the construction of some of the Agenda 111 hospitals had commenced and would continue without interruptions.

President Akufo-Addo said the Agenda 111 would see the construction of 100-bed district hospitals in one hundred and one (101) districts with no hospitals.

He said Agenda 111, the largest ever investment in healthcare infrastructure in Ghana's history, was part of a massive vision for Ghana's healthcare sector.

The President said seven regional hospitals for the new regions, including one for the Western Region, the construction of two new psychiatric hospitals for the Middle Belt and Northern Belt and the rehabilitation of the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region, were all on course, under the project.

He said each of the 16 regional hospitals to be constructed under the project would be designated as a centre of excellence in the different specialties of medicine.

"For example, orthopedic surgery, burns, plastic and reconstructive surgery, breast care centre, fertility centre, neonatology and pediatric centre, neurosurgery and spine centre, stroke centre, heart and kidney centre and mental health centre to name a few."

The President said the government would continuously upgrade the medical curriculum, and continue to train young doctors and health care professionals.

President Akufo-Addo said government would also incentivize the private sector to increase capacity to support demand in healthcare delivery.

He encouraged Ghanaian medical experts in the diaspora to collaborate with government to achieve Agenda 111.

He said the West African region was estimated to reach a population of half a billion people by 2030, by which time the Agenda 111 would have been realised.