Three die in Tema as strike continues

Tema, April 26, GNA - Three people have so far died from injuries sustained in an accident that occurred on the Tema-Aflao road as the strike action of paramedical staff of Government hospitals entered the fifth day.

The accident victims were first taken to the Tema General Hospital (TGH) but could not be attended to and referred to the Narh Bita Hospital, a private hospital in Tema, Mr Richard Adjetey, an Administrator of the hospital told GNA during a tour on effects of the strike action on private hospitals.

Mr Adjetey, said the Out Patients Department (OPD) attendance daily at the hospital had increased from 200 to about 350.

He said between Monday and Wednesday, about 15 pregnant women in labour were rushed to the hospital to deliver even though they did not attend antenatal there causing an increase of the maternity's capacity of 12 to 25.

Mr Adjetey said some of the patients could not pay for their medical expenses and cited a woman in labour having only 5,000 cedis on her at the time she reported to the hospital.

However, he said because of the humanitarian nature of the hospital, four of such women had been discharged freely including one caesarean case.

Mr Adjetey noted that, all the wards in the hospital had been filled as patients who normally went to the TGH for medical care had turned to the hospital due to the strike action.

The two government hospitals in Tema, the TGH and Polyclinic were quite compared to their usual busy environment when GNA visited there. At about 1100 hours, the OPD of TGH was partially closed with no patient around, however a doctor was seen in his consulting room virtually doing nothing while the others were closed.

The dispensary, accident, emergency, laboratories and other departments were closed to the public with no official around, meanwhile three mortuary attendants were at post during the time of the visit. The Polyclinic also had the same quite atmosphere; as the OPD was empty, dispensary, dental clinic among others were closed; as the paramedical staffs were absent.

Dr Obadiah Crabbe, Medical Officer in charge of Tema Polyclinic who was at post noted that, a few patients reported for medical attention but there were no officials at the OPD to give them their folders, neither were there nurses to take their temperature before consulting the doctor.

He said the doctors were prepared to work but it was difficult to work without the paramedical staff adding; "Even if we attend to the sick, the dispensary is closed making it difficult to give medication." Dr Crabbe said those registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) who attended health facilities during the strike action, could not understand why they joined the scheme and had to pay for medical attention at the private hospitals.

He expressed concern about the death rate as a result of the strike action saying; "People are going to die," this year's strike action was too severe compared to previous strike actions as the paramedical staff refused to leave a skeletal staff to attend to patients.

Dr Crabbe alleged that, on Tuesday some paramedical staff from Pantang hospital attacked the few who reported to work at TGH adding "one of the nurses had her dress torn."