Jirapa St. Joseph Hospital to go cash and carry next week

St. Joseph Hospital in Jirapa in the Upper West Region is threatening to return to “cash and carry” next week if government fails to clear arrears under the National Health Insurance Scheme. Medical Superintendent of the Hospital Dr Wodah Seme announced this decision at a ceremony of the Day of the Sick in Jirapa.

Speaking on healthcare financing at the facility, Dr Seme described reimbursement by the National Health Insurance Scheme as “erratic and epileptic”. According to him, the hospital has not been reimbursed since May 2016 and government is yet to honour its promise by clearing all outstanding arrears.

He said 96 per cent of their clients are bearers of the NHIS card and patients on admission have to go out and procure their drugs. Dr. Wodah Seme said that the facility has not been able to raise enough funds to buy the necessary consumables to even disinfect the hospital properly, leading to people contracting infections when they visit there.

Surgeries have been cancelled for now due to due to lack of consumables, he stated. “We are therefore serving this notice to our cherished clients to prepare themselves for the return of cash and carry next week”, he said. “We have been forced to take this rather painful decision due to the seemingly inertia on the part of relevant authorities”.

On infrastructure, he appealed to the government to complete the administration block which has been abandoned for several years to help ease congestion at the male surgical ward which currently accommodates both males and females.

The Upper West Regional Director of health services, Dr Winfred Ofosu has meanwhile cautioned health workers against taking unauthorized money from clients to deliver healthcare or would be dealt with. He however did not indicate the facilities where this act has been happening.