The newly opened Kumawu District Hospital is facing avoidable challenges with potency to culminate in deaths of patients

The newly opened Kumawu District Hospital is alleged to have been sabotaged by the workers. The workers by implication, include the doctors, nurses, and the entire administrators of the hospital.

Someone in Canada conveyed to my attention both on WhatsApp and telephone on Saturday, September 7, 2024, about most Kumawu people, or patients to be precise, refusing to attend the Kumawu District Hospital for their medical needs.

Their refusal to patronise the hospital is because they are charged far too exorbitant fees, especially when one is admitted to the hospital. With or without a valid health insurance card, a patient is still charged a hefty fee.

What is going on, if I may ask the government and the regional administrators of the government hospitals?

Those reporting the unreasonable fees being charged are saying that they have been made to understand that the Kumawu District Hospital is privately built and owned by a certain white man. The owner will hand it over to the government after operating it for one year hence charging such higher fees in the hope of recuperating all or a bigger part of their money so invested.

This is a blatant lie. Who is telling them this big lie in an attempt to extort money from the patients for a motive only known to the extortionists?

Again, I have been informed that the patients attending the hospital at certain hours, especially from say 5 a.m., are left sitting unattended by the night shift hospital staff despite the seriousness of one’s sickness.

The workers will be hanging around indulging in their cell/mobile phones while a patient is in terrible agony crying for help.

They claim to have finished their shift duty and that any such patient should wait for the morning shift team to attend to them. How callous could they be!

From the disgusting attitudes of the workers coupled with the higher fees charged, most patients prefer to rather go to Effiduase Hospital which is nine miles away, or attend a private clinic in the immediate vicinity of the Kumawu public cemetery.

May I suggest to the government, the Kumawu Sekyere District Council, the Regional Health Administrators, and any authority that matters, to conduct urgent investigations into these reported allegations before the situation gets worse?

There are reported cases of people falling suddenly ill and immediately rushed to the hospital but ending up dead soon after their arrival. Could it be that such victims are not given immediate medical attention because of the despicable attitude of the workers as reported above?

As of writing, one Madam Sarpomaa from Kumawu Zongo was rushed to the hospital this morning, Sunday, 8 September 2024, complaining of feeling a bit unwell but died a few hours later.

I don’t want to mention other persons who when rushed to the hospital in the wee hours of the day, just succumb to death within hours.

What is going on if I may ask? Could it be partly down to the nonchalant attitude of the workers? Maybe!