He said the Hospital, established in 1911 was the second Military Hospital in Ghana after the 37 Military Hospital, but had not been rehabilitated or expanded over the years.

The Paramount Chief made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Pe Dr Pwakweah Atuldine Atudipare, the Chief of Manyoro, at a durbar of Chiefs and people of the area, organized in honour of  President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, when he visited the Navrongo Municipal as part of his two-day working tour of the Upper East Region.

The Chief said various units of the Hospital needed renovation and expansion to befit its status as a referral facility because "It has a very large patient attendance not only from Navrongo but from Burkina-Faso and beyond.

It is a referral centre for Builsa North, Builsa East and Kassena Nankana West Districts.

"The Hospital, especially its theatre has obsolete equipment and is more like a death trap when patients are being sent in there for an operation.

"It is my wish that your Excellency will authorize work on the theatre as soon as possible," he told the President.

Pe Adda further appealed to government to have a feedback on the pioneering role of the Navrongo Health Research Centre in policy development and implementation, and advocated for the University for Development Studies (UDS) to make it a fully-fledged Research unit of the University.

Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Minister of Health in response to the chief's call, gave the assurance that government was scheduled to undertake rehabilitation works at the War Memorial Hospital.

"I will ensure that some rehabilitation work is done on the War Memorial Hospital next year."

He said government had scheduled to construct two district hospitals at Nabdam and Pusiga Districts in the Region as part of efforts to ensure Universal Health Coverage which enables citizens to access healthcare without any barriers.

Mr Agyeman-Manu, who is Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central, disclosed that the Ministry of Health was working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to pair the Navrongo Health Research Centre with the UDS campus to augment research activities in the University.

On National Health Insurance, he said government would ensure that "By middle of September, all health providers would have received payments for up to June this year, which will enable everybody access health without the little copayments the facilities are doing."