Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, has called on the government to immediately operationalise the Weija Children’s Specialist Hospital, arguing that the facility is fully completed and ready to serve the public.
The former Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee insists that concerns over alleged procurement irregularities should not delay the opening of a hospital that he says was substantially completed under the previous Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.
Speaking in an interview with the media and later reinforcing his position in a Facebook post, Dr. Ayew Afriye rejected claims of misprocurement surrounding the project, particularly regarding the acquisition of some medical equipment.
According to him, the project originally started as a 40-bed facility but was later expanded into a modern 120-bed specialist hospital with the full knowledge and approval of all relevant stakeholders, including the World Bank.
“At every stage of the process, the World Bank was aware that the project had to be enhanced from a 40-bedded to a 120-bedded facility,” he stated.
He explained that the expansion required additional equipment and infrastructure upgrades, all of which went through the necessary procurement procedures and received approval from the appropriate authorities.
Dr. Ayew Afriye argued that if questions are being raised about procurement decisions, they should be directed at Ghana’s procurement oversight institutions rather than the contractor responsible for executing the project.
“All this went through the procurement processes in the country. If you attack procurement that has gone through Public Procurement Authority approval and for which contracts were signed by the Ministry of Health, then you are more or less attacking the Procurement Authority itself.It has got nothing to do with the contractor,” he said.
The lawmaker further disclosed that the contractor had gone beyond the original project scope by installing additional systems, including power guards throughout the facility, to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
He maintained that the hospital is fully equipped and ready for operation, stressing that the public is more interested in accessing healthcare services than ongoing debates about procurement procedures.
“What Ghanaians know is that they want to use the facility. This flimsy excuse of over-procurement or misprocurement should not be used now. It is totally needless,” he stated.
Dr. Ayew Afriye also referenced a recent position reportedly taken by the World Bank, suggesting that concerns over the procurement process should not stand in the way of commissioning the hospital.
He therefore urged the Minister for Health to prioritise the opening of the facility while any outstanding administrative or financial issues are addressed separately.
In a Facebook post, the Effiduase-Asokore MP called for the immediate release of an outstanding balance of $3.8 million owed to the contractor and the subsequent handover of the hospital for public use.
“Open the Weija Children’s Specialist Hospital. There is no misprocurement. Pay the $3.8 million balance to the contractor and hand over the facility for use now,” he wrote.
He reiterated that all scope enhancements and variations associated with the expansion of the project from 40 beds to 120 beds were jointly agreed upon by the Ministry of Health and the World Bank.
According to him, any concerns the government may have regarding procurement approvals should be addressed through the appropriate institutions without preventing the public from benefiting from the completed facility.
“If government has a problem with the Public Procurement Authority, it can go ahead and deal with the PPA. The hospital cannot remain closed merely on suspicion regarding the pricing of a certain 128-slice CT scan. Moreover, it has already been installed,” he stated.
Dr. Ayew Afriye said the Health Ministry could commission an independent audit into the procurement process if it deemed it necessary but stressed that such an exercise should not delay the commencement of healthcare services at the hospital.
“Mr. Minister, you can commission an audit if you so wish. But for now, tear down any political barrier and get it opened,” he urged.
The Weija Children’s Specialist Hospital is expected to provide specialised paediatric healthcare services and help ease pressure on existing children’s healthcare facilities across the country once operational.
The facility has become a subject of public debate amid concerns over procurement processes and delays in its commissioning despite reports that construction and equipment installation have largely been completed.
By 1960news.com
