The Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has detained 246 recovered patients for failure to settle their medical bills totaling GH¢281,092.
Management of the hospital has expressed worry over the development and appealed to the public, especially philanthropists, to bail out the patients who are from poor and vulnerable backgrounds.
The Medical Director of the Eastern Regional Hospital, Dr Arko Akoto Ampaw, who highlighted the plight of the patients at the hospital’s review held in Koforidua, said for such a situation not to recur, the hospital’s welfare unit has advised relatives of patients on admission to deposit some money with the hospital.
Dr Ampaw said cases frequently reported to the hospital include cardiovascular diseases and stroke, followed by hypertension and HIV and AIDS. He advised sick people who report at the hospital to take their health seriously and go by instructions given to them by the health staff.
He said the number of pregnant women who reported to the hospital with hypertension rose from three hundred and seventy-seven in 2019, to five hundred and twenty-five last year.
Dr. Ameyaw said child mortality decreased from seventy-seven to twenty-nine within the same period. Dr. Ampaw said deaths recorded at the hospital rose from one thousand six hundred and twelve in 2019 to one thousand eight hundred and eight last year.
