Korle-Bu Consultants, Specialists petition Prez Mahama

Consultants and Specialists of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), on Wednesday said they have no confidence in the Chairman of the Board, Mr Edward Annan and other board of directors.

They asked that the members and the Acting Chief Administrator; Reverend Okpoti Botchway, should be replaced immediately with persons whose primary objective is to establish a well-run hospital that provides excellent care for patients, good facilities for clients and fair rewards for all staff and management.

A petition signed by Professor Kobinah Kyekyer, Chairman, and Dr Nii Armah Adu-Aryee, Secretary and endorsed by members of the body asked for a substantive Chief Administrator of KBTH within three months.

The petition, which was copied to President John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Health, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health said: “We have noted with great concern that the hospital has been without a substantive Chief Administrator since Professor Nii Out Nartey, took accumulated leave in December 2012 and, retired in May 2013.

“For the future, the Board of the hospital, in consultation with the Minister of Health, must ensure that succession is better planned such that no gaps occur at the helm of affairs.

“We therefore strongly suggest that Act 525 (Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996) be amended to ensure that the appointment of an interim Chief Administrator of the hospital is reduced to the minimum.”

The members said the main departments of the hospital should be accorded greater financial autonomy to enable effective discharge of responsibilities. Departmental administrators, finance and procurement officers should have appropriate qualifications and experience, and be accountable to their heads of department.

“The current centralisation of the procurement process is obstructive and partly responsible for the current poor state of the hospital. Urgent changes are required in the procurement process to enable more effective running of departments and to avoid the current delays and paralysis in the system.

“The talents and ideas within the various departments cannot be effectively harnessed when the levers of action are so distant from the patients, “the petition said. It said the Chief Administrator and the Board should be given well-defined targets for the performance of the clinical and non-clinical functions of the hospital.

The assessment of performance requires immediate overhaul and modernisation of the medical records departments to ensure that accurate data are available for evaluation. The emoluments of the Chief Administrator and the Board chairman and members should be determined by the hospital’s performance against targets.

This should include: Mortality rate, quality of infrastructure, availability of suppliers- effectiveness of procurement procedures, availability of case notes for OPD patients, patient satisfaction surveys, availability of running water and other hygiene essentials and department-specific objectives.

The petition said to generate further passion for excellent clinical services, directors and the Chief Executive Officer, and wives and dependants should be required to obtain all their medical and dental services from KBTH except when otherwise recommended by a legitimate medical board for care to be obtained elsewhere.

Current officers who do not wish to follow the directive should resign. The Chief Administrator and the Korle-Bu Board should present a clear statement of accounts regarding the current financial status of the hospital and thereafter twice a year.

The petition asked for full disclosure on the current status of all hospital levies. In future, such levies should be transparently fenced off to forestall recent issues of accessibility and possible misappropriation.

The members said an update on the ongoing infrastructural works in the hospital such as the Children’s Emergency, the main Outpatients’ Department re-structuring, the car parks, and appropriate timelines should be urgently published for their perusal.

“Immediate steps should be taken to restore the “24-Hour-Pharmacy” to its former position as the leading “24/7” community pharmacy in the country. “Individual offices should be provided for all consultants and specialists to: improve their effectiveness and reflect their status and their pivotal role in the running of the service.

“A credible plan with identified funds, and evidence of implementation, should be in place within three months.

“There is a general and palpable apathy in the hospital, which stems from the long-held view that the KBTH is insensitive to the health and other needs of its staff. The Board and Chief Administrator should establish better communication with staff, and improve working conditions – in particular, healthcare when staff are in need.”

The petition said: “If these demands are not met, we will be forced to reconsider our position and take strong action to press home our case in the interest of patients. It is salutary to remember that any of us can become patients and require care and treatment at the KBTH at any time.”