Eastern Regional Hospital detains 246 patients over unpaid bills

Some 246 recovered patients at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua have been detained for failing to pay for their medical bills totaling GH¢281,092.

This development was brought to bear during the hospital's review meeting held in Koforidua last Thursday.

The management of the hospital have therefore cried out to the public to help pay up the bills.

The Medical Director of the Eastern Regional Hospital, Dr Arko Akoto Ampaw advised relatives of patients on admission to deposit some money with the hospital to prevent reoccurrence of such situations.

Some of the detained patients the Daily Graphic spoke to lamented the situation in which they found themselves.

Madam Patricia Adjorke who is not on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) said “out of the GH¢7,092.71 she owed, she had been able to pay only GH¢2,600 and appealed for assistance from philanthropists to enable her to settle her bill, since her family was unable to pay the remaining amount”.

Another patient, Mr Mohammed Fobi, whose relatives were yet to be reached, said he owed the hospital GH¢2,400, and that even though he had come to the end of his treatment regime, he could not go home because he had not been able to settle his indebtedness to the hospital.

Medical cases

Dr Ampaw indicated that the facility records frequent cases of cadiovascular diseases and stroke, followed by hypertension and HIV/AIDS.

He added that the number of pregnant women who reported to the hospital with hypertension rose from 377 in 2019 to 525 last year.

Meanwhile, he said, child mortality decreased from 77 to 29 within the same period.

Dr Ampaw said deaths recorded at the hospital rose from 1,612 in 2019 to 1,808 last year.

COVID-19

He also lamented on the negative impact of COVID-19 on blood donation at the facility and encouraged the public to voluntarily donate blood to support the blood bank and save lives.

In addition, he called on the public to collect the bodies of their dead relatives from the hospital's morgue, which was filled to capacity at the moment.