Ghana’s long-awaited Children’s Specialist Hospital at Weija has moved closer to opening after the completed 120-bed facility was formally handed over to the Ghana Health Service, authorities said.

The contractor handed over the facility to the Ministry of Health, which subsequently transferred responsibility to the Ghana Health Service on Friday, 7 August.

The handover removes an administrative hurdle to the operationalisation of the specialist paediatric facility, which has reportedly remained closed despite being completed for more than a year.

However, it remains unclear when the hospital will begin receiving patients, with outstanding financial obligations to the contractor reportedly yet to be fully settled by the government.

The development follows growing pressure from residents and parents in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality over the delay in opening the hospital.

In May, residents staged a demonstration demanding the immediate operationalisation of the facility, arguing that children were being denied access to specialised healthcare despite the availability of a completed hospital.

The pressure intensified after the demonstration, with the contractor reportedly invited by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following a meeting with Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.

Once operational, the hospital is expected to provide specialised paediatric care to children in Weija-Gbawe and surrounding communities.

The facility is also expected to ease pressure on St. Louis Children’s Hospital, whose ageing infrastructure has created challenges for the delivery of specialised child healthcare.

With a capacity of 120 beds, the Weija facility is expected to provide additional space for the diagnosis and treatment of children and other specialised paediatric services.

For residents who have campaigned for the hospital’s opening, however, the handover marks only the beginning of the process.

Authorities will still have to complete outstanding administrative, staffing and operational arrangements before the facility can open to the public.

No official date has yet been announced for the commencement of operations.