Management of St. Joseph’s hospital has released the four (4) patients detained at the facility for their inability to pay their medical bills following Bryt FM’s report.
The patients have been released to report for review two weeks later for further negotiation.
Bryt FM news uncovered the patient’s detention room at the St Joseph’s Hospital where patients discharged but unable to pay their medical bills were detained.
The detention room was established to prevent such patients from escaping.
The four patients who were detained in the room identified during the investigation were Mawuli Yaw whose bill was Ghc20,000 but managed to pay only GHS47.00. Nsiah Nicholas also had a GHS9,612 medical bill to pay while Kwame Samuel was billed Ghc5,097 but paid Ghc700. Kofi Darvor has the least bill of Ghc4,511 which he has paid Ghc590.
All these patients were National Health Insurance scheme.
Nsiah Nicholas, an accident victim said he was brought to the hospital by the police and since then no family member has visited him to help pay his bills.
“I was working in Akyem Kwabeng as Okada rider. One night a car nearly knocked me down which cause me to crash at the roadside so I was injured the police brought me to this hospital and left. Since my admission here 7 months ago nobody has come to visit. So some few individuals I don’t even know have been coming to help me”. He said
Mawuli Yaw, a Togolese suffered a broken thigh after timber fell on him in Ghana. He was not able to settle the GHS20,000 medical bill hence detained.
“I am a Togolese I came to work in Ghana and timber fell on me. I wasn’t sent to the hospital nine months ago. I have been discharged but I have not been able to settle my bill of Gh23,000 so they brought me to this condemned room “.
Kwame Samuel and Kofi Darvor had similar stories.
“They have amputated my leg. I am supposed to pay ghc4000 but I have not been able to pay so they brought me to this “Condemn” room. I have not died so why bring me to condemn room. It pains me I am here” Kwame Samuel said.
“I am also from Togo; I came to work in the Nkawkaw area as a pragia rider. I was involved in an accident but the owner of the Pragia brought me here and abandoned me. I spent three months on admission” Kofi Darvor said.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
