33 discharged patients held hostage

Breman Asikuma (C/R) May 12, GNA-Thirty-Three patients who failed to pay their medical bills totaling 18.5 million cedis are being held hostage by the authorities of the Our Lady of Grace hospital at Breman Asikuma.

The spokesperson for the patients, Madam Kate Asante, Madam Veronica Okai, Margaret Feboa and Beatrice Forso, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Breman Asikuma that they have stayed in the hospital after their discharge for between four and 12 weeks. She said the detainees, mostly women and farmers claimed that they have nobody to pay their bills and could not honour them themselves because of their poor financial positions.

Speaking in another interview, the hospital Administrator, Mr. Takyi Ansah and Sister Luisa Ruperez, In-Charge of the hospital, said refusal of payment of bills by patients had been on ascendancy in the area. According to them the Managing Director of a company at Enyan Kenkyira, Opraem Quansah, a few weeks ago paid for the medical bills for ten patients held hostage for failing to honour their medical bills totaling 20 million cedis before they were released. They said last year, the hospital incurred a debt of over 200 million cedis in respect of patients absconding with their medical bills, adding that if the situation continues, it would gradually lead to the collapse of the hospital.

They however, suggested to the District Assembly and NGOs to identify and pay for registration fees for the poor and vulnerable in the communities to enable them to become members of the National Health Insurance Scheme and access free health care delivery.