The government has been encouraged by the World Bank to operationalise and launch the $10.5 million Weija Paediatric Facility (WPF) immediately.
The World Bank’s COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (P173788) provided funding for the $10.15 million, 120-bed hospital that the government built last year.
The World Bank said in a statement provided to The Ghanaian Times yesterday that the project ended on December 16, 2025, following a six-month extension to finish important tasks for which the government had not yet released International Development Association (IDA) monies.
The Bank explained that certain tasks were still unfinished at the end of the project, even with the extension.
The installation of certain equipment at the Weija hospital and the use of specific safety precautions mandated by the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework for health facilities were among them, it stated.
The announcement states that until June 16, 2025, the government may continue to use undisbursed IDA money under the project to fulfil outstanding commitments for qualified operations.
It emphasised, however, that in order to fulfil all unfulfilled environmental and social safeguard duties and pay for expenses that were not eligible for IDA finance, the government would have to use its own resources.
The Bank added that before the facility could start operating and serving the public, it would need sufficient staffing in addition to finishing the necessary physical work and safety regulations.
It stressed that the government would have to finish the required steps and assign personnel to the hospital in order to fully operationalise it.
The World Bank reaffirmed its dedication to working with the government to get the hospital up and running as quickly as feasible.
It is anticipated that the Weija Paediatric Facility will be crucial in enhancing children’s access to expert medical treatment, especially in Accra and the surrounding areas.
According to medical experts, the hospital’s launch would improve emergency and referral services for kids while relieving demand on already-existing medical facilities.
In order to meet the expanding healthcare needs of the local youngsters, residents of the Weija enclave and the surrounding districts have also voiced hope that the facility will soon open.
It is anticipated that the hospital’s completion and operationalisation will fortify Ghana’s healthcare system and improve the nation’s capacity to handle paediatric public health emergencies.
Source: newsthemegh.com