Awerco Construction Limited, the contractor working on the Weija-Gbawe Children’s Hospital project, has threatened legal action against the Ministry of Health, demanding an immediate retraction of a recent press statement it says unfairly blames the company for delays in completing and operationalising the facility.
In a letter dated May 8, 2026, lawyers for the company accused the Ministry of publishing what they describe as “inaccuracies and misrepresentations” that could harm the contractor’s reputation and business interests.
The dispute follows a Ministry of Health press release issued on May 5, 2026, titled “Operationalisation of the Weija Paediatric Hospital”, which reportedly raised concerns about procurement irregularities, including claims that some medical equipment may have been priced up to 11 times higher than market value.
Awerco Construction has firmly rejected the allegations, insisting they are unfounded and unsupported by evidence.
“Our Client has been wrongly portrayed as being responsible for the Ministry’s inability to commission and operationalise the Weija Paediatric Hospital,” the lawyers stated.
According to the company, it has consistently met its contractual obligations and should not be blamed for the delays.
The contractor also noted that concerns reportedly linked to the World Bank were never formally communicated to them, adding that they were unaware of any such findings being directed at the company.
Awerco further revealed that it has repeatedly written to the Ministry over the past year requesting payment of outstanding amounts, but says those letters have gone unanswered.
The company also pushed back against claims that it halted the commissioning process, describing the assertion as misleading.
“Contrary to the impression created by your press release, our Client never stated in its letter that it had halted the process of commissioning of the facility,” the lawyers clarified.
Instead, Awerco explained that its earlier correspondence focused on proper handover procedures and the need for essential protective systems, including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units and automatic voltage regulators, to protect sensitive medical equipment.
It warned that without such systems in place, expensive equipment could be damaged and hospital operations disrupted.
The company also argued that delays in payment had affected mandatory end-user training required before the hospital could be safely handed over and fully operationalised.
“Failure to undertake such training poses an additional risk to the project and to potential patients, as critical medical equipment may not be operated properly,” the letter cautioned.
Awerco also questioned why the Ministry would push ahead with plans to operationalise the hospital if it believed procurement prices were significantly inflated.
The construction firm has given the Ministry 24 hours to retract parts of its statement, warning that it has instructed its lawyers to pursue all legal remedies if the demand is not met.
ALSO READ:
