Damongo Hospital shut down over staff attacks

Authorities at Damongo Hospital in the Northern region have been compelled to suspend temporarily service at the facility following incessant attacks on their staff by some residents of the town.

Many patients receiving treatment at the facility depending on their conditions have been prematurely discharged or referred to other facilities.

Starr News has learnt that the only Unit functioning currently is the maternity ward where only labour patients are admitted.

Starr News has been unable to readily establish the state of the patients discharged from the hospital but community sources said half of the victims returned home with their sickness.

Sources at the hospital hinted that management took the decision on Sunday when some residents launched fresh physical attack and injured some nurses of the hospital.

According to the sources, there have been reported cases of theft at the facility. The situation compelled the staff to make official complaints to the police.

The sources added that few days after the complaints, some youth invaded the facility and took away two motorbikes belonging to the staff.

Police was informed again and the guys were arrested but later granted bail.

Angered by the arrest of their colleagues the youth allegedly confronted the staff and threatened to attack and steal more items.

The violent youth carried through their threats Sunday morning when a motorbike belonging to a nurse was missing at the premises and in the evening two nurses were attacked and beaten brutally.

The situation angered the staff who laid down their tools over insecurity and angrily went on a patience discharge spree.

When Starr News contacted the West Gonja District Health Director, Hajia Fuseina who corroborated the narration said management would convey an emergency meeting on Monday with Chiefs and the youth in the area to deliberate on the matter.

She condemned the attacks on the staff and said the facility risk permanent closure if the Chiefs do not intervene and talk to the youth.

"We are going to involve the chiefs and the youth so that they talk to each other because if a nurse has gone on duty and you go and pick the motorbike, how would the fellow have sound mind to attend to a patient?, if there is no peace of mind how do you work," Hajia Fuseini quizzed in an interview.

The Damongo district hospital is the only major health center providing health care to over 1,500 residents in the West Gonja district.

It is a referral facility for people in the Gonja North district.