Admissions at TGH keep rising - Dr Sarpong

Admissions at the Tema General Hospital (TGH) had been rising consistently over the years, with its bed occupancy rates always above 100 per cent, Dr Charity Sarpong, Medical Director of the Hospital has said.

Dr Sarpong made this known during a visit to the Hospital by Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, adding that currently the Accident Centre records about 30 accident cases on daily basis, while between 700 and 750 patients are attended to daily at the Out-Patients Department.

She said the Maternity Department records about 650 deliveries every month, but regretted however that despite all these increases, TGH had not seen any major rehabilitation or renovation, apart from some maintenance done with Internally Generated Funds (IGFs).

Dr Sarpong said this situation had contributed immensely to most of the challenges facing the hospital, which she said include inadequate health personnel, particularly doctors and nurses, poor infrastructure and inadequate space leading to congestion in almost every department, lack of staff accommodation, inadequate support services such as theatres, laboratories, and x-rays; and irregular and erratic flow of water.

She said measures put in place by management to address those challenges include: the regular provision of needed consumables and logistics; regular maintenance of the buildings to prevent their total collapse; provision of incentives to staff on duty; and the renting of few accommodations for some staff members.

The Metro Medical Director pointed out that even though these challenges had been funded using IGFs, most of them required capital investments which “cannot be met with IGFs alone.

She said at the moment, about 70 per cent of the Hospital’s IGFs is utilized to provide consumables and basic equipment needed for service delivery; 20 per cent on maintenance, repairs and renovations; while about 10 to 20 per cent is spent on running cost.

Dr Sarpong appealed to the Minister to assist the hospital to complete the renovation of the main theatre which was started using IGFs, but had been stalled for lack of funds.