‘By the time they finish paying, the patient is dead’ - Dr Osei fumes over cash-and-carry in emergency care

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Okay.. 10 hours ago

Good advice.

Good advice.
Dr Mumbi Seraki 10 hours ago

Hello youth of Ghana. You can take your own life with medicine.......for instance 15 paracetamol at once......or combine medicine and akpeteshie or weedicide .

Hello youth of Ghana. You can take your own life with medicine.......for instance 15 paracetamol at once......or combine medicine and akpeteshie or weedicide .
THE TRUTH 10 hours ago

Anytime I hear of NDC or NPP Foot Soldiers shouting at the rooftops that their party built UGMC , I feel like crying for them.None of their family members will ever enjoy the services of that center till they leave this plane ...
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Anytime I hear of NDC or NPP Foot Soldiers shouting at the rooftops that their party built UGMC , I feel like crying for them.None of their family members will ever enjoy the services of that center till they leave this planet.That center's charges plus that of BoG are beyond the lifetime earnings of any of those foolish foot soldiers.
Ghanaman 8 hours ago

If a certain man had spent his millions acquiring these CT scans and basic equipment, including beds, for the district hospitals, instead of a private jet to be used for flying a few patients, most of whom would have to "win ...
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If a certain man had spent his millions acquiring these CT scans and basic equipment, including beds, for the district hospitals, instead of a private jet to be used for flying a few patients, most of whom would have to "win a lottery to qualify", abroad for treatment, many more lives would be saved.
P Djamgbe 2 hours ago

The money Ofori Atta looted and deposited in US banks and is right now desperately trying to use it to bribe Donald Trump in order not to be treated like an illegal alien which he is, if that money was invested in our hospita ...
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The money Ofori Atta looted and deposited in US banks and is right now desperately trying to use it to bribe Donald Trump in order not to be treated like an illegal alien which he is, if that money was invested in our hospitals, every major hospital would be equipped to the teeth to deal with any health situation - that money is probably more than the price of ten (10) private jets.
All these can be possible if our leaders 4 hours ago

Put to an end of looting state funds

Put to an end of looting state funds
they say they say 4 hours ago

Firing squad

Firing squad
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Obiba AA 10 hours ago

Kudos Dr Osei
Great suggestions
The health ministry should take it up
Up to the president

Kudos Dr Osei
Great suggestions
The health ministry should take it up
Up to the president

123 10 hours ago

I can see this Doctor is good at strategic management. The suggestions are very good.

I can see this Doctor is good at strategic management. The suggestions are very good.
AmanorUSA 10 hours ago

Very clever ,practical and caring. I am proud of you and God bless you . Can any politician be wise like this please? Or politics takes away such wisdom?

Very clever ,practical and caring. I am proud of you and God bless you . Can any politician be wise like this please? Or politics takes away such wisdom?
AmanorUSA 10 hours ago

This Dr has a head like KT Hammond but full of wisdom oh, hmm wonder shall never end.

This Dr has a head like KT Hammond but full of wisdom oh, hmm wonder shall never end.
OSAFO KANTANKA 10 hours ago

For my money Nobody should be FLOWN out of the country for any “MEDICAL “ treatment by the Government.

For my money Nobody should be FLOWN out of the country for any “MEDICAL “ treatment by the Government.
JK 9 hours ago

Fact

Fact
Maranatha 9 hours ago

Jesus loves you fully. Give your life to Him for eternal life.

Jesus loves you fully. Give your life to Him for eternal life.
LET JESUS COME AND PAY..... - Ghanawatch 2 hours ago

Let Jesus come and pay the
hospital fees for emergency patients. This is what we need most and not bothering us with 'jesus loves you fully. Give your life to him for eternal life'.
Give us a break,my friend. Let Jesus com ...
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Let Jesus come and pay the
hospital fees for emergency patients. This is what we need most and not bothering us with 'jesus loves you fully. Give your life to him for eternal life'.
Give us a break,my friend. Let Jesus come. We are waiting for him
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DORMO JAMES 9 hours ago

Wow! Great thought. But Ghanaian problem isn't about ideals but implementation. Politicians, CEOs and most of our leaders that matter in policies formulation and implementation know exactly what to do to make lives better for ...
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Wow! Great thought. But Ghanaian problem isn't about ideals but implementation. Politicians, CEOs and most of our leaders that matter in policies formulation and implementation know exactly what to do to make lives better for all but for selfishness, political affiliation!
Chief Biney 8 hours ago

Great suggestions but if I read it well he was a former director at UGMC, what happens during his term of office. Anyway I think it a good input and must be put into good use

Great suggestions but if I read it well he was a former director at UGMC, what happens during his term of office. Anyway I think it a good input and must be put into good use

Did you read it clearly 4 hours ago

Did you read it clearly or you couldn't understand what you read? Does the story mention that during his time he banned that practice?

Did you read it clearly or you couldn't understand what you read? Does the story mention that during his time he banned that practice?
Ina 8 hours ago

Great thoughts Dr. We need Health Finance re-engineering at our hospitals. Kudos!

Great thoughts Dr. We need Health Finance re-engineering at our hospitals. Kudos!
John Martin 8 hours ago

All over the world emergency ward take care of patient before billing the patients.
Ghana health system needs radical reformation

All over the world emergency ward take care of patient before billing the patients.
Ghana health system needs radical reformation
NMG 5 hours ago

Am a Ghanaian American living in America I was at the Emergency room about to die I swear they took care of me make sure am good and gave me a bed gave me medicine and everything I didn’t pay shit that day I went back to wo ...
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Am a Ghanaian American living in America I was at the Emergency room about to die I swear they took care of me make sure am good and gave me a bed gave me medicine and everything I didn’t pay shit that day I went back to work weeks later they sent me my bills and even told me I don’t have to pay all at once if I don’t have I can be paying small small Chale I love Ghana but we do have corrupt and criminals as leaders I always tell my people here in America self same thing our leaders are corrupt too much
Mensahoo988 8 hours ago

In Ghana? After treatment, the family will say they have no money, even of they have. Because they have to use that money to buy new cloth for a funeral or other non productive ventures. So then, let's make all treatments fr ...
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In Ghana? After treatment, the family will say they have no money, even of they have. Because they have to use that money to buy new cloth for a funeral or other non productive ventures. So then, let's make all treatments free.
What was the practice pre-December 1982 4 hours ago

Until the chain wee smoker made his coup, what was the practice in Ghana hospitals? Patients were treated free of charge. Where did Ghana get the money to implement that policy. You rely on loans from the IMF and the World ba ...
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Until the chain wee smoker made his coup, what was the practice in Ghana hospitals? Patients were treated free of charge. Where did Ghana get the money to implement that policy. You rely on loans from the IMF and the World bank who impose preconditions on you to weaken your country even more.
Korsi 8 hours ago

Excellent Soviet (USSR) trained Doctor.

Excellent Soviet (USSR) trained Doctor.
Samuel M. ABENZUO 8 hours ago

As a bedside nurse for the past 18 years. I have worked in subdistrict, district and regional healthcare facilities and hospitals. The experience of 2008 emergency healthcare delivery has not changed much to benefit patients ...
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As a bedside nurse for the past 18 years. I have worked in subdistrict, district and regional healthcare facilities and hospitals. The experience of 2008 emergency healthcare delivery has not changed much to benefit patients relatives and clinical staff. Currently, the clinical staff are fully knowledgeable, skillful, committed to deliver necessary healthcare however, the healthcare facilities policies and State policies on emergency healthcare are still lacking clear cut and decisive legal backing on emergency healthcare set ups and delivery to the fullest. One of such defects is what Dr. Darius spoke about; pay that, that and that, patient and relatives must secure ambulance vehicle for imaging investigations outside the healthcare facility, all these events further delays survival rate of patients in the emergency departments.
Healthcare facilities emergency department policies must first focus on delivering emergency healthcare to real emergency patients then bills settlement later as deduced by Dr Darius Osei.
Dr Osei must be giving a hearing by stakeholders in line with emergency healthcare strategies development in Ghana to change the emergency healthcare narrative.
Truth 7 hours ago

Agreed and sensible, but Ghana we are not interested in health and safety...all we care about is to talk plenty, steal money and boast like madafackers

Agreed and sensible, but Ghana we are not interested in health and safety...all we care about is to talk plenty, steal money and boast like madafackers
Ernest Attah 6 hours ago

Well done for your fantastic advice.

Well done for your fantastic advice.

Kwame Peter 6 hours ago

Ghanaians,the two freeloading brothers think they are wise,tomorrow is pregnant yooooo.

Ghanaians,the two freeloading brothers think they are wise,tomorrow is pregnant yooooo.
True Ghanaian 5 hours ago

Good advise coming from the wrong person. The protocols for emergencies in Ghana doesn't require facilities to collect money before service in govt hospitals in emergency cases.
Dr osei as CEO of ugmc introduced payment bef ...
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Good advise coming from the wrong person. The protocols for emergencies in Ghana doesn't require facilities to collect money before service in govt hospitals in emergency cases.
Dr osei as CEO of ugmc introduced payment before service at ugmc and refused to register the ugmc with the nhis. Shortly after leaving office he is calling for the scrapping of what he introduced and implemented during his tenure. Hypocrisy is what is killing us!
Trokosi bastard 4 hours ago

Did you read that he banned that practice at the emergency for the first 24hrs a patient was there. During that 24hrs won't the patient receive the treatment they need to stabilize them? Blame the Politicians who have made it ...
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Did you read that he banned that practice at the emergency for the first 24hrs a patient was there. During that 24hrs won't the patient receive the treatment they need to stabilize them? Blame the Politicians who have made it their job to go borrowing from the IMF and the World Bank who put preconditions on them in all aspects of the lives of citizens. They made Ghana health system even worse than the American system.
FIRE MAN 5 hours ago

Don't mind him. A big liar! Was he not at his tenure when my daughter suffered from severe pneumonia and almost passed away. Having paid exorbitant "killer" fee for "emergency treatment". At a pont when my daughter had turne ...
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Don't mind him. A big liar! Was he not at his tenure when my daughter suffered from severe pneumonia and almost passed away. Having paid exorbitant "killer" fee for "emergency treatment". At a pont when my daughter had turned "blue" for lack of oxygen, the hospital staff insisted that I must cough out 20,000 cedis before my daughter can be moved from Emergency Ward to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Such a wicked man; now that you are no more in that office, hear some stupid and foolish things you are spewing. I had to spent over 90,000 cedis for my daughter to be fully recovered..I also know of a man who because of exorbitant being charged there, had to leave the hospital prematurely (fully unhealed of pneumonia) who died few months later. SHAME ON YOU, Dr. OSAE. Leave NDC alone. You were part of the mess!
FIRE MAN 5 hours ago

And you call yourself a member of "Freemason". Rather, Freemasons are supposed to make "GOOD MEN BETTER".

And you call yourself a member of "Freemason". Rather, Freemasons are supposed to make "GOOD MEN BETTER".
The greatest assets of every nation is its people 5 hours ago

Government must endeavour to equipped at least all regional and district hospitals and find means that any patients can be treated as soon as possible and pay at least next day for anyone who can't pay at spot

Government must endeavour to equipped at least all regional and district hospitals and find means that any patients can be treated as soon as possible and pay at least next day for anyone who can't pay at spot
Dr Paakow T . 4 hours ago

Dr. Darius Osei’s comments on ending “pay-before-service” in emergency care sound appealing, but they do not reflect the reality of how care is currently delivered.

During his tenure at the University of Ghana Medica ...
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Dr. Darius Osei’s comments on ending “pay-before-service” in emergency care sound appealing, but they do not reflect the reality of how care is currently delivered.

During his tenure at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), the facility did not accept National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and still does not. for all services. In practice:

Emergency patients without cash were often referred out early

Costly investigations were not done unless patients could pay

Poor patients were redirected to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital or Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital)

This creates a clear contradiction.

You cannot call “pay-before-service” a death sentence while running a system that effectively selects patients based on ability to pay.

The core issue is funding, not rhetoric.

If UGMC truly wants to lead emergency care reform, then it must:

Accept NHIS patients at scale

Absorb the financial risk of emergency care

Align policy with actual bedside practice

Facilities like Korle Bu and Ridge continue to manage large volumes of NHIS patients, including the poorest. They have not collapsed. They are strained, but they function because they carry the national burden of care.

UGMC, built with public funds, should not operate as a selective centre while speaking the language of universal access.

Until financing is addressed, and until UGMC fully integrates into the national insurance framework, statements like this remain political messaging rather than workable health policy.
Kwasi 4 hours ago

Digitalise business processes with biometrics and payment models at all medical emergency centres to leverage on the features of the GhanaCard, so that patients can pledge future earnings/income as collateral for their medica ...
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Digitalise business processes with biometrics and payment models at all medical emergency centres to leverage on the features of the GhanaCard, so that patients can pledge future earnings/income as collateral for their medical emergency expenses, as an addition to or in the absence of health insurance.
Koti 3 hours ago

Politicians seek health care abroad so they care a damn about the ignorant citizens who vote them to power.

Politicians seek health care abroad so they care a damn about the ignorant citizens who vote them to power.
AK 3 hours ago

NDC at it again. They are good at destroying any social intervention introduced by NPP. Cash and carry is going to get worse.

NDC at it again. They are good at destroying any social intervention introduced by NPP. Cash and carry is going to get worse.
Nana K 3 hours ago

Idiot, what did you when you occupied office.

Always somebody should do it and us!

Idiot, what did you when you occupied office.

Always somebody should do it and us!
Dedeede 3 hours ago

This is basic. We're only wickedly wicked

This is basic. We're only wickedly wicked
Samwise 2 hours ago

This is the ethics of medicine, well done sir, the Ghana medical schools should implement this human ethics in their studies. We support your initiatives.

This is the ethics of medicine, well done sir, the Ghana medical schools should implement this human ethics in their studies. We support your initiatives.
KofSam 2 hours ago

If our medical system requires that an emergency a patient who requires an emergency treatment pays first before being attended to as narrated by Dr Osei , then our medical system is flawed , archaic and soulless. Does our me ...
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If our medical system requires that an emergency a patient who requires an emergency treatment pays first before being attended to as narrated by Dr Osei , then our medical system is flawed , archaic and soulless. Does our medical system has the patient’s bill of rights? I doubt it . That means any poor person who requires emergency care will be left to die because they cannot pay for their services? Why not save their lives first and enter into a payment arrangement if they are not able to pay upfront. This is discrimination against the poor people and medical code of ethics should be against this barbaric system. The welfare of the citizens must be the number priority of every state because the health of the nation depends on the health of its citizens. Yet our politicians go abroad to seek quality health care when our doctors are capable of treating them in the country. Our health care infrastructure is centralized in the capital with other regions hospitals lacking even the most fundamental diagnostic equipment . Every regional and city hospitals must be equipped with all the necessary diagnostic equipment so that a patient should not have to travel to another region for the sake of accessing a medical equipment. Our country must do better.
Kwame Angel 2 hours ago

So, if a man has an accident in Accra and his family is in Tamale, they are supposed to come to Accra and pay before the victim is attended to. What if the accident victim can not even talk? And we have enough money to order ...
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So, if a man has an accident in Accra and his family is in Tamale, they are supposed to come to Accra and pay before the victim is attended to. What if the accident victim can not even talk? And we have enough money to order new presidential jet?
Aja 2 hours ago

Who pays in an emergency situation, I thought patient should be stabilised before Money issue can be discussed

Who pays in an emergency situation, I thought patient should be stabilised before Money issue can be discussed
Yabi Yabi 1 hour ago

Am I missing some secrets about Ghanaian values and moral principles or just my imagination?

I say so because it is becoming all so clear to me that the loud mouth critics and the so-called intelligentsia class seem to exh ...
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Am I missing some secrets about Ghanaian values and moral principles or just my imagination?

I say so because it is becoming all so clear to me that the loud mouth critics and the so-called intelligentsia class seem to exhibit traits of schizophrenia when it comes to politics and governance.

Dumsor started under ex-president Kufour but the critics let him leave office without a whiff even though every presumed Ghanaian with ears heared him (Kufour) send church leaders to Akosombo to pray for rains that never came to fix our electricity generating and distribution problems.

But each one of the seemingly neutered critics under NPP government administration found their unprincipled pen and voices to blame our electricity problems aka dumsor on Mahama durung his first term as president.

Under another NPP majority government of President Akufo-Addo /Dr. Bawumia, Ghana faced civilian killings at the hand of state security agents and the destruction of flora and fauna by illegal miners and the neutered critics remained comatosed and neutered while the sole-sourced option of procurement tools became the preferred option and tool of government.

Under the John Mahama 2nd term, the zombies are energized going from their neutered and unprincipled state to being critics with intellectually inferior logical kind. The critics, that include half-baked journalists, media houses and point men and self-proclaimed social watchdogs, have now no idea that unless and until constitutional laws, statutes/LI are changed by politicians, anything said on the campaign trial such as sole-sourcing remains a legal sanctioned option for procurement.

The Fourth Estate's collection of haters masquerading as investigative journalists perhaps can explain when a legal instrument becomes illegal to use. It is fair to remind politicians of what they promised voters on the campaign trial but it is a lie aka jandam when crtics imply that use of sole-sourcing in awarding government contracts is a crime.

It would be delightful if the critics of todays government can provide and publish a list of each kilometer of roadwork under the "Big Push" and associated pricing listed by contractors of their preference via submitted RFQ/ RFP for all to review so we can assess, compare and contrast prices otherwise the question becomes where and why all the fuss?

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‘By the time they finish paying, the patient is dead’ - Dr Osei fumes over cash-and-carry in emergency care

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