Contractors have moved to site to begin work on the 21,500-square-metre, 160-bed Western North Regional Referral Hospital at Sefwi Wiawso, bringing the long-awaited project into its construction phase.
The hospital is one of three new regional referral hospitals being developed by the government in the Western North, Savannah and Oti regions as part of efforts to expand access to specialised healthcare.
President John Dramani Mahama has in recent months reaffirmed his government’s commitment to delivering the three hospitals, which were included in the government’s healthcare infrastructure programme for the newly created regions.
In his 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Mahama announced that government had made provision in the 2026 Budget to commence construction of the regional hospitals in Oti, Savannah and Western North.
He said the projects formed part of efforts to expand access to quality healthcare while ensuring that critical health infrastructure projects were completed.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh also announced that GH¢600 million had been allocated in the 2026 Budget to commence work on the three regional hospitals.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series, the Minister said construction of the facilities would begin in 2026 and stressed the importance of closing infrastructure gaps in the newly created regions.
Mr Akandoh also assured that the government would not abandon uncompleted health projects inherited from the previous administration.
The latest development at Sefwi Wiawso follows the government’s earlier announcement that procurement processes for the three hospitals had been completed or were at an advanced stage, paving the way for construction.
Minister for Government Communications Felix Ofosu Kwakye has also confirmed government’s intention to proceed with the three projects.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye recently announced that President Mahama would cut the sod for the construction of the 160-bed regional referral hospitals in Oti, Savannah and Western North, describing the projects as part of government’s efforts to expand critical healthcare infrastructure.
The physical presence of contractors at the Western North site now signals a shift from government announcements and procurement arrangements to actual construction activity.
The development is particularly significant for Western North, which has depended heavily on referrals to other regions for specialised healthcare services.
Sefwi Wiawso, the regional capital, currently lacks a fully developed regional referral hospital with the capacity to provide the range of specialised services expected at that level.
The new facility is therefore expected to strengthen the region’s referral system and reduce the need for residents to travel outside the region for specialist treatment.
The 21,500-square-metre project will provide 160 beds when completed and is expected to serve as the principal referral facility for residents across the Western North Region.
The government is simultaneously pursuing similar 160-bed referral hospitals in the Savannah and Oti regions.
The Savannah project has also moved into the implementation stage, with the project site at Damongo handed over to the contractor.
The three projects are expected to increase regional healthcare capacity, improve access to specialised services and ease pressure on existing referral facilities in neighbouring regions.
For residents of Western North, however, the immediate focus will now be on the pace of construction, availability of funding and the eventual completion and equipping of the hospital.
The movement of contractors onto the Sefwi Wiawso site marks a major step in the delivery of a project that has been the subject of repeated government commitments and growing expectations among residents of the region.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
