Volta River Authority (VRA) has commenced the construction of a new children's ward and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Akosombo Hospital in Ghana.  

The latest milestone was marked by a groundbreaking ceremony held as part of a grand durbar marking the 60th anniversary of VRA Health Services' hospitals.  

The modern facility will feature a total of 16 beds, 11 incubators, as well as an executive room to enhance the quality of healthcare provided to infants. 

Construction, which is now underway, is expected to complete by September 2026. 

Ghana News Agency quoted VRA Health Services medical director Dr Kwabena Omare Yeboah as saying: “Looking at the challenges we have, when you have a preterm baby, we have to send the baby to Koforidua or other facilities; sometimes the babies die in the forest in transit.   

“When that realisation came, we decided that it is time for VRA on our 60th anniversary to look at something of this nature, to build up a neonatal intensive care unit and then a children’s ward so that we don’t have to transport these preterm babies to Koforidua and other places and lose them in the process.” 

Yeboah highlighted the significance of the new ward, noting that the hospital had operated for six decades without a dedicated children's ward, with paediatric services previously integrated into the female ward. 

He also emphasised the importance of the new facility for preterm babies and mentioned the strategic decision to include an executive ward atop the NICU.  

This addition aims to cater to the needs of dignitaries visiting the Akosombo area, which is known as a holiday destination, the VRA noted.  

Akosombo Hospital has also been recently upgraded with new equipment to improve its operations. 

In addition to infrastructure development, VRA Health Services has actively engaged in community outreach, including extensive public health education during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Established in 1964, the health services division of VRA has evolved over the years, becoming a Strategic Business Unit and transitioning into a limited liability company in 2014, with full operationalisation achieved in 2019.