Weija Children's Hospital to open soon after EOCO brokers handover agreement

The Weija Children's Hospital will soon be opened to the public after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) brokered an agreement between the Ministry of Health and Awerco Construction Limited for the immediate handover of the facility.

The agreement paves the way for the Ministry of Health to operationalise the hospital despite unresolved disputes over payments and ongoing investigations into the project.

"The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) wishes to inform the public that the Weija Children's Hospital will soon be opened for public use following a successful agreement brokered between the Ministry of Health and Awerco Construction Limited regarding the immediate handover of the facility," EOCO said in a press statement issued on Thursday, July 16.

According to the anti-graft agency, a series of engagements facilitated by EOCO resulted in both parties agreeing to hand over the hospital to enable healthcare services to begin without further delay.

EOCO explained that the agreement was reached even though issues remain unresolved, including claims by the contractor over outstanding payments and concerns raised by the project's financier regarding procurement processes and related matters.

The Office said the decision was taken in the public interest to ensure the completed hospital begins delivering specialised healthcare services to children and families.

"The Office wishes to assure the public that its investigations into allegations of procurement breaches, financial impropriety and other related matters concerning the project remain ongoing. The agreement to hand over and operationalise the hospital does not in any way affect or prejudice the investigations currently being conducted by EOCO," the statement added.

The agreement comes after months of controversy over the delayed operationalisation of the Weija Children's Hospital.

In May this year, residents of Weija-Gbawe staged a demonstration demanding the immediate opening of the completed facility amid concerns over the lack of specialised paediatric healthcare services.

The Ministry of Health in a statement responding to the demonstrations attributed the delay to procurement concerns involving some medical equipment and unresolved contractual issues.

However, Awerco Construction Limited rejected the allegations, noting it had not obstructed the commissioning of the hospital and threatened legal action against the Ministry over what it described as false claims.

The dispute escalated on July 10, when the contractor was reportedly picked up by officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after a meeting with Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh over the handover of the facility.

Neither EOCO nor the Ministry publicly disclosed the reasons for the contractor's reported arrest.