The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, is calling on the government to urgently operationalise a completed children’s specialist hospital in his constituency, warning that delays are worsening healthcare challenges for residents.

Speaking on The Pulse on May 5, Jerry Ahmed expressed frustration over what he described as unexplained delays, despite engaging the Minister of Health on several occasions.

“Why the delay? I’m not sure, because I’ve had the opportunity to engage the Minister of Health on at least five occasions on this matter,” he stated.

According to him, the initial explanation provided by the Minister was that there was a need for reconciliation processes involving contractors and the World Bank since the project was funded under a World Bank initiative and completed under the previous administration.

“The first time, he told me they needed to do some reconciliation with the contractor and the World Bank,” he explained.

He disclosed that further assurances were later given that the facility would soon be opened, but that has yet to materialise.

“I was told the facility would be opened a week after March 12, but as of April 3, nothing has happened,” he said.

The MP warned that the continued delay is having serious consequences, particularly for women and children in the constituency.

“The women are upset. They are losing their children because there is no facility to take care of them,” he lamented.

He noted that patients are being forced to travel long distances to access care, including referrals to the Princess Marie Louis Hospital, while existing facilities are overstretched.

“At the emergency department, children are on beds while parents sit in chairs, sometimes even receiving oxygen. This is not the best when it comes to healthcare,” he added.

Mr Ahmed stressed that the situation is unacceptable, especially as the facility is fully completed and equipped.

“We have a 120-bed capacity facility, a mother’s hostel, and all the equipment, including CT scan machines, are working,” he revealed.

He questioned why such an investment remains unused while trained health professionals remain unemployed.

“We keep talking about unemployment among nurses and medical practitioners, yet there is a fully completed facility not in use,” he said.

The MP also cautioned against politicising infrastructure projects, urging authorities to prioritise the needs of citizens.

“We need to move away from politics. It must not be because it was started and completed under a previous government that we are leaving it to rot,” he stressed.

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He further cited similar concerns with other completed but uncommissioned facilities, calling for urgent action.

“What are we doing to ourselves?” he questioned.

Mr Ahmed is therefore urging the President and the Minister of Health to take immediate steps to operationalise the facility and improve healthcare delivery in the Weija-Gbawe constituency.