Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has pledged government partnership with the Catholic Church to complete the Legacy of Hope Paediatric and Childhood Cancer Hospital, addressing a critical gap in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure for children battling cancer.
The Vice President made the commitment during her address at the Closing Mass of the 2025 Rosary Congress in Accra on Saturday, October 18. The congress, which ran from October 16 to 18 at Christ the King Catholic Church, marked the first such gathering in Accra following the historic maiden congress held in Tamale earlier this month.
The hospital project, situated at Adjen Kotoku in the Ga West District of Greater Accra Region, represents the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra’s ambitious effort to address severe paediatric healthcare shortages in the capital. Currently, Accra relies primarily on Princess Marie Louise Hospital in the city center, with paediatric units scattered across Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and the University of Ghana Medical Centre.
According to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the healthcare facilities available for millions of children in the capital remain woefully inadequate, placing enormous strain on medical teams and limiting access to specialized care. The Legacy of Hope Hospital specifically targets paediatric and childhood cancer treatment, a field where Ghana’s resources are particularly stretched thin.
The project’s journey has been complex. Originally planned for a site at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, the hospital location was moved to Adjen Kotoku in 2023 due to contractual obligations with the commission. Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie, who launched the initiative with a sod cutting ceremony in January 2022, confirmed that due diligence had been completed for the new site on land owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra.
This isn’t the first time government has shown interest in the project. Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia pledged support in June 2025, acknowledging the hospital requires substantial funding to finish. Bawumia highlighted government programs like the one constituency, one ambulance initiative and Agenda 111, while noting efforts to extend health insurance coverage for childhood cancers, sickle cell disease, and kidney dialysis.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang’s renewed commitment comes at a significant moment. The government is emphasizing partnerships between church and state to meet socioeconomic needs of citizens, a theme the Vice President has articulated in meetings with various religious organizations since taking office in January.
The Rosary Congress where she made her pledge holds special significance for Ghana’s Catholic community. It was part of a broader spiritual awakening sweeping through the country during the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, organized under the theme “The Holy Rosary: A Path to the Jubilee Grace.”
The maiden Rosary Congress in Tamale, which concluded on October 12, attracted over 5,000 participants and was described by Global Rosary Network founder Fr. David Obeng Paintsil as only the third such congress in Catholic Church history, following events in Poland in 1979 and the United States in 1988. The Accra congress continued that momentum, bringing together faithful for prayer, reflection, and community building.
Whether the government’s partnership with the Catholic Church translates into tangible progress on the hospital construction remains to be seen. The project represents not just infrastructure development but a test of whether collaborative approaches between religious institutions and government can address critical healthcare gaps.
For families whose children need specialized cancer treatment, the hospital cannot come soon enough. Currently, complex paediatric cases often require sending patients abroad, a reality that underscores both the medical and financial barriers facing Ghanaian families dealing with childhood cancer.
The Vice President’s commitment adds political weight to a project that has been years in development. With government backing, adequate funding, and the Catholic Church’s determination, the Legacy of Hope Hospital could eventually provide specialized paediatric cancer care that countless families desperately need.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
