There is a misunderstanding between a Muslim family and the St. Joseph’s hospital over the refusal to release a Muslim corpse.
The Hospital has refused to release the body of the late Iddrisu for burial according to Islamic religion over non-payment of medical debt.
The deceased, a diabetic patient was admitted to the hospital and his leg amputated. He has presented a medical bill of over Ghc15,000 but could not pay until he died.
The hospital says until the family pays the debt, the body will not be released.
The family reported the matter to the National Chief Imam Sheik Nuhu Shaributu for intervention but was redirected to the Eastern Regional Chief Imam.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Amudani told Bryt FM that, the family reported the matter to him to intervene.
He said steps are being taken to negotiate with the hospital to release the corpse.
“The family didn’t bring the matter to me straightforwardly they went to the National Chief who redirected them to me in the Eastern region. They told me they brought their family member who was a diabetic patient to St. Joseph’s hospital where his leg was amputated. The medical bill was over Ghc15,000 but the patient has died however the hospital says it will not release the body for burial until the bill is paid. The body has been in the morgue more almost two weeks now and Muslim bodies should be buried a few hours after death. We engaged the hospital and they say a similar issue happened and when the body was released to the Muslim family they never returned to pay the bills. we begged them to release the body to us so we pay the bills in installments every month but they say no. so we are trying to mobilize money”. The Regional Chief Imam said.
Meanwhile, a patient detention room has been uncovered at the St Joseph’s Hospital where patients discharged but unable to pay their medical bills are detained.
The detention room has been established to prevent such patients from escaping.
The four patients currently detained in the room are Mawuli Yaw whose bill is Ghc20,000 but has managed to pay only Gh47 Nsiah Nicholas’s medical bill is Ghc9,612 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 are not on the 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 has not been able to settle the Ghc20,000 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 have 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.
Currently, St Joseph’s Hospital has held the body of a male deceased Muslim for owing Ghc15,000 before his death.
The decision by the hospital is creating tension as the family had wanted the hospital to release the body for burial in the Islamic religion.
The New Juaben North Municipal office of the Department of Social Welfare says it has been trying to negotiate with the hospital on behalf of the detained patients for installment payment to facilitate their release.
Management of the hospital is yet to speak on the matter
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
