The long-awaited Children’s Specialist Hospital at Weija has moved a step closer to opening its doors, following the formal handover of the completed facility to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The contractor handed over the 120-bed hospital to the Ministry of Health, which subsequently transferred responsibility for the facility to the GHS on Friday, August 7, 2026.

The handover clears an important administrative hurdle towards the commencement of operations at the specialist paediatric facility, although questions remain over when the hospital will actually begin receiving patients.

There are indications that outstanding financial obligations to the contractor have yet to be fully settled by the government.

The development comes after growing frustration among residents and parents in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality over the prolonged delay in opening the facility, which had reportedly been completed for more than a year.

In May 2026, residents staged a demonstration to demand the immediate operationalisation of the hospital, arguing that its continued closure was denying children in the area access to specialised healthcare despite the availability of a completed facility.

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

When fully operational, the hospital is expected to provide specialised paediatric services to children in Weija-Gbawe and neighbouring communities.

It is also expected to help ease pressure on the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, whose ageing infrastructure has posed challenges to the delivery of specialised child healthcare.

The facility's 120-bed capacity is expected to provide additional space for diagnosis, treatment and other specialised paediatric services, potentially reducing the need for families in the area to travel long distances to access advanced child healthcare.

For residents who have campaigned for the facility to become operational, however, the handover is only the beginning.

The immediate expectation is for the relevant authorities to complete the remaining administrative, staffing and operational arrangements to enable the hospital to serve the public.

The date on which the facility will officially commence operations remains unclear.