A total of four hundred and thirty-one (431) patients treated and discharged at the Eastern Regional Hospital between January and June this year, could not pay their medical bills.
The patients were detained but later deferred payment of their medical bills through the intervention of the Department of Social Welfare and released.
“As a policy in this Hospital, we save lives before we look at money so even if you don’t have money we will take care of you.so these patients requested for deferred payment which some have paid but the majority have not which is quite problematic”. The Medical Director of the Hospital Dr. Akoto Ampaw said during an interaction with the media in Koforidua.
The inability of patients to pay medical bills continues to plaque the finances of the hospital. The hospital lost about GHS350,000 in 2018 to about 75 poor and needy patients who could not pay their Medical bills hence absconded while some 212 signed undertaken to pay their bills in installments.
The coronavirus pandemic has meanwhile decreased OPD attendance by 15.6% from January to June this year.
The total daily OPD attendance declined from 886 to 748 which cumulated to 71,663 during the period under review as compared to 84,669 the same period in 2019 and 77,076 in 2018.
However overall admissions increased by 10.4% with daily admissions rise from 52 to 57
The contribution of the National Health Insurance Authority to revenue stood at 43% down from 45% whilst out of pocket payment increased from 52% to 55%.
However, the general expenditure of the hospital increased as a result of the Covid-19 activities and the hikes in health commodities.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
