Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, a former Health Minister, has told the Ministry of Health that there was no misprocurement at Weija Children’s Hospital.
The former Health Minister challenged the Ministry of Health to provide evidence to support claims of alleged procurement irregularities surrounding the Weija Paediatric Hospital project.
Bernard Okoe Boye argued that government officials cannot continue making allegations. without presenting documentary proof.
He further questioned what he described as contradictions in the Ministry’s communication, adding that claims of procurement irregularities appear inconsistent with suggestions that the hospital could still be commissioned within a few weeks.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Thursday, May 7, Dr Okoe Boye questioned, “Someone tells you there’s misprocurement, and at the same time, they are telling you in three weeks they are going to commission. Don’t you see the contradiction?”
His comments follow the Ministry of Health finally breaking its silence following angry residents of Weija-Gbawe who stormed the Children’s Specialist Hospital over the continued closure of the fully furnished facility.
According to the Health Ministry, the closure is due to delays in procurement irregularities, funding disputes, and unresolved contractual issues, despite the facility being physically completed.
They disclosed that the World Bank raised concerns about misprocurement, which included inflated costs of medical equipment.
In a press statement issued on May 5, the Ministry acknowledged the protest, however, attributing the delay to serious procurement breaches.
The statement revealed, “The World Bank raised concerns about misprocurement, which included inflated costs of medical equipment up to about 11 times the actual price”.
“As a result, the World Bank declined to settle all the outstanding payments.”
The Ministry disclosed that while it was “prepared to commission the facility for use,” the contractor refused access:
“The contractor subsequently halted this process, insisting that all outstanding issues be fully resolved before granting access to the hospital.”
“The Ministry wishes to assure the people of Ghana that it is actively engaging all stakeholders to resolve the matter in the best interest of the public.”
“The Ministry acknowledges the critical importance of the hospital… particularly in providing specialised care for children.”
“The Ministry therefore appeals to the people of Weija… to exercise patience while steps are taken to operationalise the hospital.”
Also, Tony Goodman, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, has revealed that steps have been taken to operationalise the Weija-Gbawe Children’s Hospital within the next two to three weeks.
Speaking in an interview on Star FM, Tony Goodman stated, “Based on the commitment we’ve seen in the last 24 hours, we can assure the people of this country that within two to three weeks, we should be able to commission this facility”.
“The terms of the contract state that payment will be made by a third party, which is the World Bank. When the last certificate was issued, the World Bank refused to pay, citing prices way above the market price,” he explained.
He further cautioned, “This isn’t a banana republic. If you force your way in and the equipment develops a fault tomorrow, you cannot hold the contractor responsible. We must use dialogue to reach an amicable resolution”.