Closure of surgical clinics due to human error

The suspension of three clinics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which has sparked controversy over the expected loss of lives, was due to human error in the purchase of consumables and equipment.

Mr Alex Segbefia, Ministry of Health, who visited the hospital on the heels of the suspension of operation of three surgical clinics, said the Ministry would not want to interfere in activities of the Hospital and explained that such matters should be left with the Hospital authorities and its Board to manage.

The Public has called on the Ministry of Health to intervene and explain the circumstances.

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital released a statement over the weekend saying, it had suspended operations at the three clinics under the Department of Surgery, which are the Urology Clinic, General Surgery Clinic and Neurosurgery Clinic.

Specialists at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital say they cannot understand why the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital has been closed for the past two years.

Dr Hadi Mohammed Abdallah, spokesperson for the Specialists told an Accra radio station that, “patients needing special surgery now face the real risk of dying needlessly because a building in which their lives would be saved has been under renovation for two years”.

According to the specialists, the closure of the ICU has been worsened by the fact that there was also an acute lack of medical equipment and consumables needed for surgery, whiles those on the waiting lists for specialist care keep growing.

The Health Minister expressed regret about why the public was now being informed about the suspension of operation of the clinics after two years and called on hospitals to make such information to the public on time.

He expressed his condolences to members of the public who may have lost their relatives and friends due to the action.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Dr Gilbert Buckle, however, explained that the three clinics have been closed for almost two years due to human error in procuring some consumables for the facilities.

He was however hopeful that the three would be re-opened in March year.

It has emerged that while patients were dying at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for lack of equipment, about GH?700,000.00 worth of equipment was deteriorating in the warehouse of the Hospital.

Dr Buckle said some of the equipment does not meet the specifications requested, while some equipment could not be used because they were purchased before the infrastructures were put in place.

He said some of the consumables and equipment which remain unused have gone past its warranty period and so makes it difficult to ask the supplier to replace any equipment even if it was faulty.

Meanwhile critically ill patients were being re-directed from the neurosurgical ward to the main surgical theatre for treatment, whiles those whose condition were not critical have been asked to visit other hospitals.