Korle Bu hits back at CHRAJ
Gilbert Boyefio
18/12/2006
The authorities at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, have responded vehemently to certain comments by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, on the "detention" of patients at the hospital.
Reacting to the allegations of "detention", on behalf of Management of the hospital at a press conference organised by the hospital last Friday, Dr Benjamin Daniel Annan, Director for Medical Services, said the hospital does not detain patients.
The hospital authorities are of the view that the interest of the so-called "detained" patients would have been better served if CHRAJ had called for more efforts at getting such people to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme, which unfortunately most of them have not done, rather than criticizing the hospital which is doing its widow's mite to help such people.
"Why can CHRAJ not ensure that the National Commission for Civic Education takes this matter up and educate the public on the importance of registering with the NHIS or pay their bills when they go to the hospital"? He queried.
Dr Annan cautioned people, to exercise greater circumspection when commenting on methods of funding healthcare for the people.
He said the hospital realised that there were lapses, that is the inability of some patients to pay their bills, under the cash and carry system which was introduced by the NDC Government to share the cost of healthcare with the citizenry.
He said the hospital, therefore instituted a mechanism of identifying patients who genuinely could not pay their medical bills after their treatment, in order to assist them.
Dr Annan explained that this system of verifying the backgrounds of patients in order to establish whether they are really insolvent or not, is carried out by the Social Welfare Unit of the hospital. He observed that the period during which the Social Welfare Unit of the hospital conducts investigations into the socio-economic background of these patients is what people wrongly refer to as "detention".
He disclosed that between 2001 and 2005, Korle-Bu has granted waivers to one thousand six hundred and fourteen (1,614) patients who were declared insolvent at the cost of ?2,053,550,767, but cumulatively the hospital offered free services to 3,591 patients at the cost of ?3,148,777,448.
Dr Annan said it is important to note that some nursing mothers normally feign inability to pay their bills and in the process of investigating their backgrounds, they often abscond from the hospital.
He said between 2001 and 2005, 1,977 patients left the hospital without paying their bills which amounted to ?1,095,233,681.
He noted that the nation stands the risk of most mothers claiming that they cannot pay their bills, should the government ever institute free treatment for such mothers at the teaching hospital.
He said CHRAJ would have better served the interests of the public first, if it had called for the institution of similar schemes in the provision of other social services by public organisations such as water and electricity, amongst others. "At the moment everybody pays for water and electricity irrespective of your standing in society", he added.
Dr Annan expressed dismay at the decision in making those unwelcome comments. "CHRAJ has been conducting research in the hospital and the authorities expect it to discuss its findings with them for explanations, before they are made public", he added.
He said it is clear that the government and the hospital have already instituted measures to ensure easy access to healthcare by the poor and the vulnerable in the society.
Touching on the success story of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital so far, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, said Korle-Bu is currently the largest and second largest hospital in West Africa and the whole of Africa respectively.
He said when his administration took over four years ago, the hospital did not have a title deed to the parcel of land on which it is situated and therefore 30 percent of its land was lost, while 700 encroachers were operating in the hospital.
He said today Korle-Bu has a staff strength of 4000, consisting of 18 different professional groups.
According to him, Korle-Bu has seen massive infrastructural development during his tenure of office. "The hospital has spent ?23 billion in changing 80 percent of the power lines underground. An additional ?600 million is also being spent on improving the sewage system at the hospital", he added.
He disclosed that by March 2007, Korle-Bu would install a high capacity generator that could supply power to the whole hospital.
He cited a good management team, dedication and hard working staff, a sense of ownership, non-interference, trust of clients, motivation and input by the media as some of the factors that have accounted for the success story of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
18/12/2006
The authorities at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, have responded vehemently to certain comments by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, on the "detention" of patients at the hospital.
Reacting to the allegations of "detention", on behalf of Management of the hospital at a press conference organised by the hospital last Friday, Dr Benjamin Daniel Annan, Director for Medical Services, said the hospital does not detain patients.
The hospital authorities are of the view that the interest of the so-called "detained" patients would have been better served if CHRAJ had called for more efforts at getting such people to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme, which unfortunately most of them have not done, rather than criticizing the hospital which is doing its widow's mite to help such people.
"Why can CHRAJ not ensure that the National Commission for Civic Education takes this matter up and educate the public on the importance of registering with the NHIS or pay their bills when they go to the hospital"? He queried.
Dr Annan cautioned people, to exercise greater circumspection when commenting on methods of funding healthcare for the people.
He said the hospital realised that there were lapses, that is the inability of some patients to pay their bills, under the cash and carry system which was introduced by the NDC Government to share the cost of healthcare with the citizenry.
He said the hospital, therefore instituted a mechanism of identifying patients who genuinely could not pay their medical bills after their treatment, in order to assist them.
Dr Annan explained that this system of verifying the backgrounds of patients in order to establish whether they are really insolvent or not, is carried out by the Social Welfare Unit of the hospital. He observed that the period during which the Social Welfare Unit of the hospital conducts investigations into the socio-economic background of these patients is what people wrongly refer to as "detention".
He disclosed that between 2001 and 2005, Korle-Bu has granted waivers to one thousand six hundred and fourteen (1,614) patients who were declared insolvent at the cost of ?2,053,550,767, but cumulatively the hospital offered free services to 3,591 patients at the cost of ?3,148,777,448.
Dr Annan said it is important to note that some nursing mothers normally feign inability to pay their bills and in the process of investigating their backgrounds, they often abscond from the hospital.
He said between 2001 and 2005, 1,977 patients left the hospital without paying their bills which amounted to ?1,095,233,681.
He noted that the nation stands the risk of most mothers claiming that they cannot pay their bills, should the government ever institute free treatment for such mothers at the teaching hospital.
He said CHRAJ would have better served the interests of the public first, if it had called for the institution of similar schemes in the provision of other social services by public organisations such as water and electricity, amongst others. "At the moment everybody pays for water and electricity irrespective of your standing in society", he added.
Dr Annan expressed dismay at the decision in making those unwelcome comments. "CHRAJ has been conducting research in the hospital and the authorities expect it to discuss its findings with them for explanations, before they are made public", he added.
He said it is clear that the government and the hospital have already instituted measures to ensure easy access to healthcare by the poor and the vulnerable in the society.
Touching on the success story of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital so far, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, said Korle-Bu is currently the largest and second largest hospital in West Africa and the whole of Africa respectively.
He said when his administration took over four years ago, the hospital did not have a title deed to the parcel of land on which it is situated and therefore 30 percent of its land was lost, while 700 encroachers were operating in the hospital.
He said today Korle-Bu has a staff strength of 4000, consisting of 18 different professional groups.
According to him, Korle-Bu has seen massive infrastructural development during his tenure of office. "The hospital has spent ?23 billion in changing 80 percent of the power lines underground. An additional ?600 million is also being spent on improving the sewage system at the hospital", he added.
He disclosed that by March 2007, Korle-Bu would install a high capacity generator that could supply power to the whole hospital.
He cited a good management team, dedication and hard working staff, a sense of ownership, non-interference, trust of clients, motivation and input by the media as some of the factors that have accounted for the success story of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
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