Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has attributed the delay in opening the 120-bed Children's Specialist Hospital at Weija to the contractor's failure to complete and officially hand over the facility, insisting the Ministry is fully prepared to commence operations once the outstanding works are concluded.

Responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Akandoh said although the hospital has been fully staffed, it cannot begin operations until the contractor completes the remaining works, including the installation of some medical equipment, and formally transfers the project to the Ministry.

The Minister explained that the World Bank-funded project experienced setbacks after procurement irregularities were identified during construction, requiring the Ministry to address the concerns before the project could proceed.

According to him, the Ministry has held several engagements with the contractor to resolve the outstanding issues and is expected to hold a final meeting on July 10, when the contractor returns to Ghana.

Mr Akandoh dismissed claims that government is deliberately delaying the commissioning of the hospital, noting that inspections conducted by the Ghana Health Service confirmed that portions of the facility are yet to be completed.

He assured Parliament that the Ministry is ready to make the hospital operational immediately after the official handover, stressing that the required health professionals have already been recruited and deployed.

The Health Minister said the facility could begin receiving patients within 24 hours of being handed over, without the need for a formal commissioning ceremony.

His comments come two months after the Ministry of Health indicated that the specialist children's hospital would become operational within weeks.

The delay has attracted public concern, particularly from residents of the Weija-Gbawe Municipality, who in May staged a demonstration demanding the immediate opening of the fully equipped facility, which is expected to expand specialist paediatric healthcare services and ease pressure on existing hospitals.