Extortion Galore At Gov�t Health Facilities

Following Today�s expos� about massive extortion by health workers at the Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra, scores of Ghanaians have confirmed to this reporter that the practice is even worst in some of the leading government health facilities across the country. These hospitals and clinics, they mentioned, include KorleBu Teaching Hospital (KBTH,) Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH,) Wa Government Hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic and Keneshie Polyclinic. The helpless Ghanaians, who made numerous telephone calls to the offices of Today in Accra yesterday, described some of the staff of the above-mentioned state-owned health institutions as the �most corrupt� in the country. According to these people who seemed to have been victims of this act by health workers at the said health facilities there was the urgent need for government to investigate the issue. �Even at Korle Bu, Kaneshie Polyclinic, and Amasaman General Hospital sometimes some nurses will tell you to bring money to enable them send your folder to a doctor. ��also at the Surgical Ward at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, nurses and doctors collect GH�10 from every patient including those in wheel chairs. These corrupt practices are heightening tension in our hospitals and must stop because it is very bad to extort money from patients,� the distressed callers stressed. Earlier, a resident from Manhyia in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, Emmanuel Kofi Asare, alias �Kofi Ghana,� who also spoke to Today on the issue, affirmed that patients who go to KATH for medical treatment suffer the same fate from health workers there. He expressed worry over the increasing rate of corruption among some of the doctors and nurses, noting that most of the problems the country faced were man-made as leaders of the country have failed to correct the rot in state institutions. However, when Today contacted the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of KBTH, Mustapha Salifu, via telephone on Thursday, December 1, 2015, he denied any knowledge of extortion practice at the nation�s premier hospital by health workers. Mr. Salifu was however quick to assure the general public of the commitment and preparedness of authorities of KBTH to investigate the issue and punish any health worker who would be found culpable. Though he was not convinced that the practice was ongoing at KBTH, he described the alleged extortion of money from patients as �serious and illegal.� He, therefore, advised patients to report any unprofessional conduct of nurses and doctors to the Complaints Unit of the hospital for action. However, unlike KBTH, all attempts by Today to reach the PRO of KATH, Kwame Frimpong, through telephone calls and text messages proved futile as he failed to answer any of them. But, when Today reached the Head of the Public Relations Department of the Ghana Health Service (GHS,) Madam Becky Afornu, via telephone, she told our reporter that she was on leave and thus asked our reporter to speak to one Jacob Acquah Abdoh at the same department. Mr. Andoh, on his part told Today that the matter had been brought to his outfit and expressed worry about the unprofessional conduct of some health workers at the state health facilities. He hinted that the Director-General of GHS and key stakeholders in the health sector have taken up the matter by setting-up a committee to investigate so as to bring the perpetrators of this act to book.