The long-awaited Children’s Specialist Hospital at Weija remains closed not because of a shortage of staff or government readiness, but because the contractor has yet to formally hand over the facility, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has told Parliament.
Addressing lawmakers on Wednesday, July 8, the Minister said the Ministry of Health is prepared to begin operations almost immediately after outstanding construction issues are resolved.
According to him, the 120-bed paediatric hospital has already been assigned its full complement of staff and is only awaiting formal completion.
His comments come amid mounting public frustration over the delayed opening of a facility expected to ease pressure on children's healthcare services in the Greater Accra Region.
Outstanding works stall handover
Mr. Akandoh explained that the World Bank-funded project encountered procurement challenges during construction, delaying its completion and handover.
“Mr. Speaker, I inherited the project. It’s a World Bank-funded project, and in the course of the construction, the World Bank raised issues of what we call misprocurement, and so we had to deal with the issues of misprocurement.” - Health Minister
He added that inspections conducted by the Ghana Health Service showed that portions of the project, including the installation of some medical equipment, remain unfinished.
The Ministry, he said, has held several meetings with the contractor to resolve the outstanding matters. A final engagement has been scheduled for July 10 after the contractor requested to be physically present.
“The last meeting will take place on the 10th of this month. The contractor is not in the country at the moment, and it was his request to be available personally for us to conclude the outstanding matters.” - Health Minister
'We can open within 24 hours'
Rejecting claims that government is intentionally delaying the hospital's commissioning, Mr. Akandoh stressed that the Ministry is ready to activate the facility once the handover is complete.
“I can assure you that if the project is handed over this morning, within the next 24 hours, we don’t even need any fanfare.
"We will commission the project because we have the full complement of staff for that particular facility." - Health Minister
The assurance contrasts with an earlier announcement made in May by the Ministry's spokesperson, Tony Goodman, who indicated the hospital would begin operations within two to three weeks.
That timeline passed without the facility opening, prompting renewed questions about the project's status.
Residents await opening
Pressure has continued to build from residents of Weija-Gbawe, who staged demonstrations in May demanding the immediate operationalisation of the fully furnished hospital.
Once opened, the Children's Specialist Hospital is expected to expand access to specialised paediatric care, reduce congestion at existing referral hospitals and improve healthcare delivery for children across the country.
For now, attention shifts to the scheduled July 10 meeting, which the Ministry hopes will finally clear the path for the hospital's long-awaited opening.
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