By Peter Agengre
In the Upper East Region, an alarming practice is gaining ground—nurses offering private medical treatment in homes and in small shops, either for free or for a fee. While some residents say these services are convenient and even life-saving, health authorities warn the practice is illegal and dangerous.
Our investigations reveal the growing underground network and its potentially deadly consequences.
GBC News has observed several nurses moving from home to home—and even treating patients in their shops—without authorisation. They carry bags stocked with medical supplies, including drugs, syringes, IV sets, and diagnostic tools.
Some parents we spoke to in the Bongo District say the service brings healthcare closer and avoids long waits at public facilities.
“Yes, the nurses come to our homes. When my child had fever, I called one of them and he came to treat him. We only bought something including IV infusion and he provided the other things and we paid for them. That’s what has helped my boy and he has gone back to school,” a parent narrated.
A forty-seven-year-old drinking bar operator in the Talensi District praised the practice of these nurses, citing his case as an example. He stressed that had it not been these guys, it wouldn’t have been easy for him.
“I was admitted at the Tongo District Hospital and was later discharged. The next two days I didn’t see changes. I went to a private facility but it was the same problem. It was these guys who saved me. He (pointing to a gentleman seated) came to my house and gave me some IV injection.”
But health authorities say this convenience comes at a cost—a legal and medical risk that could endanger lives. The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Baba Braimah Abubakari, strongly condemns the practice, insisting that nurses are not permitted to run private clinics or offer unsupervised home treatments.
“You may be the best doctor or nurse, but if the environment in which you’re providing such service is not conducive for that kind of service, then it’s an illegal act.”
“A nurse can be in serious trouble for providing private medical attention without authorisation. It is unsafe, it is unethical, and it is illegal. You can lose your license for engaging in that,” he stressed.
The Director of Ayamfooya Memorial Hospital located in Kongo in the Nabdam District, Mr. Thomas More, says the consequences are already showing. In 2024, a young lady died of rabies in Kongo—after reportedly being treated by one of these unauthorised nurses in the girl’s house.
“This young lady should have been referred to the hospital immediately the signs were showing. Instead, the husband contacted a nurse who is his church member and treatment was attempted at home. When it was now getting worse, they then brought her to my facility. My doctor had to quickly refer them to the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, but it was already late. So she died.”
A community health nurse, who spoke to GBC News on condition of anonymity, confirmed that some of his colleagues regularly carry medical equipment—including prescriptions such as drugs, syringes, sanitizers—to attend to “clients.”
“The bags contain the things we need; drugs, injections, dressings. People call us, and we go. Especially malaria season like this, people prefer that we help them at home than they going to the hospital to queue before they get treatment,” he added.
According to Ghana Health Service regulations, Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), and enforced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (N&MC), nurses may provide care only under supervision, within approved facilities, and not for personal profit. Unauthorised treatment can lead to misdiagnosis, drug misuse, delayed referrals, and preventable deaths.
As the phenomenon spreads quietly across communities in the Upper East Region, health experts warn that lives remain at risk unless enforcement improves and residents seek care from approved medical facilities.
