BY GRACE ZIGAH
The long-awaited Weija Children’s Specialist Hospital has finally been handed over to the Government of Ghana, marking a significant milestone in a project that has remained idle for more than a year despite being physically completed and ready for use.
The contractor responsible for constructing the state-of-the-art 120-bed specialist children’s hospital officially transferred the facility to the Ministry of Health on Friday, August 7, 2026. Officials of the Ministry subsequently handed the hospital over to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), paving the way for the final administrative processes before it begins serving the public.
Although the formal handover has been completed, uncertainty remains over when the hospital will officially open its doors to patients.
The Ghana Health Service is yet to announce whether a management team has been constituted to oversee the facility or provide a definitive date for the commencement of operations.
Sources familiar with the project indicate that government is yet to fully settle outstanding payments owed to the contractor, a situation that has contributed to delays in completing the final transition process.
The handover comes after months of sustained public criticism over the prolonged closure of the modern healthcare facility, which residents say should have been operational long ago.
In May this year, residents of Weija, together with parents and community groups, staged a demonstration demanding the immediate opening of the hospital.
Protesters questioned why a fully completed specialist hospital had remained locked while children in the municipality continued to travel long distances to access specialised paediatric healthcare.
The controversy surrounding the project deepened after reports emerged that the contractor was invited by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) shortly after attending a meeting with the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
The circumstances surrounding the invitation generated public interest as pressure mounted on government to explain the delays in operationalising the facility.
The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has consistently advocated for the immediate opening of the hospital, insisting that healthcare delivery should not become a victim of political considerations.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, the MP reiterated that residents have waited long enough for the facility to become functional.
“I don’t think we should still be playing politics with this facility. It should be operationalised for people to use it. I had a word from the Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, that it had been operationalised, so I should pass by and see, but when I did, it was still closed,” Shaib stated.
The Weija Children’s Specialist Hospital was conceived to strengthen Ghana’s paediatric healthcare system by providing specialised treatment for children while reducing pressure on existing referral facilities.
Once fully operational, the modern 120-bed hospital is expected to offer comprehensive specialist healthcare services for children across Weija-Gbawe, Greater Accra and neighbouring communities.
