Iinner look of the Eastern Regional hospital with empty patient beds
By: Mudasiru Abdul Yakeen, Koforidua
The management of the Eastern Regional hospital has raised concerns over the persistent rate at which patients have been fleeing with unpaid bills.
The authorities say patients have a way of sneaking out of the hospital premises without being noticed and without paying their bills.
Dr. Cardinal Newton, the acting medical director of the hospital said, the unpaid huge sums of money by the fleeing patients is affecting the hospital financially and in so many ways too.
Dr. Newton disclosed this during a media briefing, last Friday at the hospital.
NHIS Registration
The medical director pleaded with the public to ensure they register with the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS). He said, the hospital can retrieve its money from the NHIS authorities when a patient is a member of the scheme adding this will prevent the fleeing of patients in subsequent years.
He states that there’s nothing the hospital can do to allow non-members of NHIS to abscond with unpaid hospital bills.
The hospital, according to Dr. Newman is now considering is providing more and effective security forces to enable them deal with fleeing patients.
“In resolving such disturbing issues, we have decided to improve on the security system of the hospital in our bid to get rid of patients who flee with unpaid bills,” Dr. Newton disclosed.
Death toll
Giving statistics of the number of deaths recorded in 2019, he disclosed that stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident) led the death toll cases of the hospital in the year.
According to the authorities, there were 13 per cent of stroke death cases with HIV/AIDS recording 9.2 per cent of death cases in 2019.
Dr. Newton advised the public to frequently embark on medical screening and exercises, which will help in preventing the rapid growth of stroke.
“Stroke can be prevented. I will urge all Ghanaians to take screening very serious by checking their blood pressure and sugar levels. When we are able to take care good care of our sugar levels and blood pressures, the high rate of stroke will reduce heavily,” he said.
