Patients at Bongo District Hospital choke over congestion

The Bongo District Hospital in the Upper East Region of Ghana is congested forcing authorities to box both women and children on admission in the same ward due to lack of facilities.

More than two child patients as a result of the situation have also been compelled to share same bed at the hospital, which authorities decry as not the best practice.

The hospital serves more than 15 surrounding communities in the Bongo District and neighboring Burkina Faso.

The increasing number of referral cases from other facilities result in overcrowding, especially at the maternity ward.

Women, under bizarre situations even deliver with torch light because the facility is technically challenged, an insider told a local reporter, Samuel Mbura in Bolgatanga.

He said despite efforts by authorities to reduce or deal with persistent cases of cross-infection which keep patients and relatives longer than usual at the hospital, it has not been encouraging.

“Most mothers come with two or more children. One is sick while the others are healthy. But often before the admitted child gets well, the healthy ones unfortunately end up getting infections due to the congested nature of the facility’’.