The World Bank is urging the Government of Ghana to fast-track the operationalisation of the Weija Paediatric Hospital, a 120-bed specialist children’s facility constructed under the World Bank-funded COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project.
The hospital, located in Weija and valued at about $10.15 million, was built to strengthen Ghana’s emergency health infrastructure and improve access to specialised pediatric healthcare following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although construction of the facility has been completed, the hospital is yet to begin full operations, raising concerns about delays between infrastructure delivery and actual healthcare service provision.
In a statement, the World Bank said it remains “strongly desirous” of seeing the hospital fully opened and operational as soon as possible, stressing that several key activities are still outstanding.
The COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project officially closed on December 16, 2025, after the Bank approved a six-month extension to enable the completion of critical components under the programme.
According to the Bank, pending works at the Weija facility include the installation of some medical equipment and the implementation of environmental and social safety measures required under its Environmental and Social Framework for health facilities.
The Bank explained that undisbursed International Development Association (IDA) funds can still be used to settle eligible outstanding obligations until June 16, 2026. However, any remaining safeguard requirements or ineligible expenditures will have to be financed by the Government of Ghana.
“To fully operationalize the hospital, the Government will need to complete these necessary actions and assign staff to the facility,” the statement said.
The Weija Paediatric Hospital forms part of broader efforts to improve Ghana’s healthcare resilience, ease congestion at major referral hospitals and expand specialist healthcare services for children.
Once fully operational, the hospital is expected to improve emergency response capacity and provide specialist pediatric care for residents in Greater Accra and nearby communities.
The World Bank’s concerns also highlight a recurring challenge in Ghana’s public infrastructure sector, where several completed projects often face delays in staffing, equipment installation and operational funding before services can begin.
For the Weija hospital, the remaining challenges are largely operational and administrative rather than structural. Government is expected to complete the outstanding safeguard measures, finalise equipment installation and deploy the required medical and technical personnel.
The urgency surrounding the project comes at a time when Ghana’s health system continues to face increasing pressure from growing demand for healthcare services and congestion at referral hospitals.
