(VIDEO) Nana Ayew Afriye Urges Immediate Opening of Weija Gbawe Children’s Hospital
Effiduase/Asokore MP says politics should not delay operationalisation of completed specialist facility.
Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Nana Ayew Afriye, has called on the government to immediately operationalise the Weija Gbawe Specialist Children’s Hospital, insisting that political considerations should not delay the facility’s opening.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the lawmaker rejected claims that procurement irregularities were responsible for the continued delay in opening the hospital.
According to him, the hospital project was initiated under the previous New Patriotic Party administration and funded through the International Development Association, a financing arm of the World Bank.
Mr Afriye explained that the facility was initially planned as a 40-bed hospital but was later expanded into a 120-bed specialist children’s hospital with the approval and knowledge of all relevant stakeholders, including the World Bank.
He stated that the current concerns centre on the procurement of medical equipment, particularly a 128-slice CT scan machine, after the World Bank reportedly questioned the pricing during a post-procurement review.
The MP said the World Bank suggested the CT scanner may have been overpriced but failed to provide an alternative quotation for a machine of similar quality and specifications after being requested to do so.
According to him, the total cost of the medical equipment package stands at $3.8 million, including the CT scan, stressing that any allegation of inflated pricing must be supported with clear evidence.
Mr Afriye noted that the contractor had fully completed the project and even supplied additional items, including power generators, which were not part of the original contract scope.
He further revealed that the World Bank itself had since recommended that the hospital be opened, adding that discussions about alleged procurement breaches were no longer active.
The lawmaker urged the Ministry of Health to move swiftly and commission the facility to begin serving as a referral centre for children.
He also criticised the timing of the concerns raised over the procurement process, arguing that due diligence should have been conducted earlier instead of delaying the operationalisation of the hospital.
Mr Afriye therefore appealed for politics to be set aside in the interest of healthcare delivery and child welfare.
From Prince Joe Boadi
