Residents of Weija-Gbawe have staged a demonstration over the continued closure of a fully furnished children’s specialist hospital, which they say has remained unused for two years after construction was completed.
The protest focused on the Weija-Gbawe Children’s Specialist Hospital, a 120-bed facility that residents believe could significantly improve access to paediatric healthcare if operationalised.
Demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “Weija Gbawe deserves healthcare, not delays” and “No excuses, commission the Weija Gbawe children’s hospital,” calling for immediate action from authorities.
One frustrated resident, Kwame Asante, said the facility was fully equipped and ready for use but remained closed despite urgent community needs.
“I have entered the hospital before, when it was completed. It has everything in it,” he said. “I think we should put NDC, NPP issue aside, it is about Weija-Gbawe. I want to plead with the health minister and the government to come and commission this project.”
He warned that the delay was affecting children’s health in the municipality.
“We are losing our children because when you go to the old children’s place, the place is not safe for children. But this one is, and yet it is closed, why?” he asked.
Another resident, Hannah, who identified herself as a trained pharmacist, said the delay had also affected employment opportunities for health professionals in the area.
“I have been trained as a pharmacist for all these years, and I am home. But we have a facility here closed. If this is opened, I could be employed, and I will get work to do,” she said.
She added that families are being forced to travel long distances to access emergency care due to the facility’s closure.
Another resident, Comfort, also appealed for the urgent commissioning of the hospital, saying the delay is putting lives at risk.
“Two months ago, my sister’s child collapsed, and we drove here only to realise that it is still closed. So we had to go all the way to Marina Hospital, which is very far from here.
“We cannot watch these instances keep happening. We want to plead with the government to open the facility to service the children,” she said.
“We have ambulances, and every facility that is needed; it only needs to be commissioned for use.”
The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, acknowledged the concerns raised by residents, describing the protest as a reflection of the pressure families face in accessing healthcare.
“I would not have asked anyone to come and demonstrate or protest here, but they are here because they are feeling the pinch,” he said.
He noted that many of the protesters were women who directly experience the challenges of accessing healthcare for children.
“I have been to many facilities of this kind outside of the country, and I can tell you that this is far more advanced than many of those I have been to,” he added.
“So what have we done to merit this? Why are we making children die, all because we have failed to commission a hospital?”
