The Government of Ghana has initiated land preparation for a new 400-bed Mother and Child Block at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. This development was announced by Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu on 21 September 2026. The new block aims to provide specialised maternal and newborn care, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services, under one roof at Ghana's largest referral hospital.
The new block will replace the hospital's long-serving Maternity Unit, which has been considered inadequate for the volume of patients referred to Korle Bu from across the country. The existing unit has struggled to keep pace with patient numbers, and the new facility is expected to improve the management of complicated pregnancies, childbirth emergencies, and serious maternal and newborn conditions.
The planned facility will house obstetrics and gynaecology wards, labour and delivery suites, and operating theatres, alongside a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a High Dependency Unit (HDU), and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for mothers and babies requiring critical care. Additionally, it will feature an IVF and assisted reproduction centre, antenatal, postnatal, fertility, and reproductive health clinics, breastfeeding and family planning units, and an emergency obstetric care unit.
The block will also include diagnostic imaging, laboratory and blood bank services, a pharmacy, central sterile services, and physiotherapy and rehabilitation units. Space has been set aside for teaching, research, and conference facilities, reflecting Korle Bu's role in training doctors, nurses, and midwives. This comprehensive maternal and neonatal health investment is considered one of the most significant at a public hospital in Ghana in recent memory.
Korle Bu receives referrals from health facilities across Ghana, and the new block will widen access to services that many Ghanaians currently seek only at private clinics, often at high cost. The project is part of President John Mahama's broader agenda to overhaul public health infrastructure. With land preparation underway, the administration has moved the project from planning into active development.
However, details such as the completion date, construction cost, and funding source for the new block have not been reported. Officials have not yet detailed a timeline for when the facility will be finished or open to patients. The project is expected to bring significant improvements to maternal and newborn care in Ghana.
The new Mother and Child Block at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is a significant development in Ghana's healthcare sector. Once completed, it will provide critical care services, specialised maternal and newborn care, and IVF services to patients from across the country. The project demonstrates the government's commitment to improving public health infrastructure and increasing access to quality healthcare services.
Key points
- The new block will feature Ghana's first large-scale public IVF centre.
- The facility will include critical care units for mothers and newborns, including NICU, HDU, and ICU.
- The project is part of President John Mahama's agenda to overhaul public health infrastructure.
