Tension is mounting in the Western North Region as residents of Sefwi-Wiawso push back against reported attempts to relocate the newly approved Regional Hospital away from the regional capital.
The residents insist the facility must remain in Sefwi-Wiawso, arguing that every regional hospital in Ghana is located within its respective regional capital and that Western North should not become an exception.
Addressing the media, retired military officer Francis Kwaku Enin warned that relocating the hospital would undermine healthcare access, economic growth and development opportunities expected from the project.
Speaking on behalf of concerned residents, he expressed appreciation to the government for approving the hospital project but accused unnamed stakeholders of attempting to shift the facility to another location despite years of local preparations.
According to him, the Sefwi-Wiawso Traditional Council had already released more than 200 acres of land at Domeabra for the project in 2022, with cocoa farms on the site cleared in anticipation of construction works.
“We strongly believe that siting the hospital in the capital will not only attract specialist medical professionals to the region but also create employment for our youth, boost economic activity and improve living standards,” Col (Rtd) Enin stated.
Residents argue that moving the facility away from the regional capital would disadvantage surrounding communities, especially people in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai area who currently depend on Kumasi for advanced healthcare services.
They fear a relocation could increase travel burdens for emergency and specialist care, weakening the intended impact of the regional hospital.
Some affected farmers whose lands were acquired for the proposed hospital site also demanded that the land be used strictly for the original purpose for which it was released.
The farmers warned that abandoning the project at Domeabra after taking over their farms could trigger tensions within the community.
The growing agitation highlights increasing public pressure on government to clarify the final location of the Western North Regional Hospital and ensure equitable healthcare infrastructure planning in the newly created region.
