Volta Regional Hospital risked being closed down

Ho, July 31, GNA - The Volta Regional Hospital at Ho, risked being closed down for the lack of adequate personnel, Mr Godwin Pongo, Principal Health Administrator of the Hospital, said on Friday. He blamed the situation on the exodus of staff to health institutions in other parts of the country, where conditions of service are believed to be comparatively better.

Mr Pongo, who was speaking to newsmen on the state of the Hospital, said ideally, the health institution required 251 nurses and 35 medical doctors including at least eight specialists of varied backgrounds to operate fully but it could boast of less than 100 nurses and 14 doctors. He, however, said though under the situation, there were two nurses to over 30 patients instead of one nurse to five patients, the Hospital was doing its best to render quality service.

Asked if the issue of Additional Duty Hour Allowance (ADHA) accounted for the exodus of nurses from the Hospital, Mr Pongo said: "This is a problematic area I would not want to talk about. Even as we talk now, stakeholders in the ADHA are meeting with the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS)".

He said patients who indicated their inability to meet their medical expenses had persistently abused the flexible terms reached between them and the Hospital.

Mr Pongo appealed to philanthropists and organisations to adopt wards at the hospital for maintenance.