A private businessman, who is also a civil road contractor, Richard Owiredu Wadie, has paid a total of GHC11,200 to clear the bills of some 20 mothers who were detained at the Koforidua government hospital for their inability to pay their debt.
Mr Wadie, who is also a Philanthropist, through his nongovernmental Organization – KABAKA Foundation, also donated truck load of items including medical equipment such as fetal Doppler ultrasounds and dental materials as well as large quantities of soaps, detergents, Milo, baby diapers, soft drinks, bottled water among others to the Hospital to take care of patients particularly Pregnant and nursing mothers.
Mr. Wadie, Chairman of the Foundation who is an awardee of the “2020 Forty Under 40 Award Scheme” has been donating and paying medical bills for the poor and needy at the hospital every year as part of his birthday.
The intervention has been helpful as many patients, particularly mothers who delivered through ceaserean or suffered complications during child birth were struggling to pay huge the bills issued to them.
Challenges
The Acting Matron at Obstetrics and Gyaenacology Department at the Hospital, Kathlyn Nyassingbe, described as troubling the number of women discharged after delivery but were unable to leave due to inability to settle their medical bills.
“It troubles our heart when a mother is discharged after delivery but because she is unable to pay her bills, stays in the hospital. Those with high medical bills are those who underwent Ceaserean delivery. The drugs used are expensive. So we are appealing to others to follow suit to intermittently come to the aid of poor mothers who struggle to settle their bills,” she said.
Inability of patients to pay medical bills remains a challenge at the Eastern Regional Hospital.
For instance, the Hospital lost about Ghc350,000 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.
Commendation
The Acting Matron therefore commended KABAKA Foundation for coming to the aid of the nursing mothers, some of whom had delivered twins .
Some of the beneficiary mothers were thankful to KABAKA Foundation but appealed to government to reintroduce the free maternal healthcare policy.
The Medical Director of the Eastern Regional Hospital Dr Arko Akoto Ampaw , was grateful.
“We are very grateful for the items we have received . Initially we thought the items were just going to support the mothers in the Maternity unit however we noticed that it included items that are directly beneficial to the hospital including fetal doppler and dental materials for the dental unit”.
The donation was climaxed with sharing of hot meals and soft drinks by the Philanthropist and Wife to pregnant and postpartum women at the Obstetrics and Gyaenacology Department of the hospital.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com
