General News of Tuesday, 26 August 2003

Source: GNA

Epileptic mother detained by hospital for non-payment

Atibie-Kwahu (E/R), Aug 26, GNA - The Kwahu Government Hospital at Atibie-Kwahu has been detaining Miss Akosua Amoafoaa since seven months ago for her inability to settle her hospital bill of 1.55 million cedis.

Miss Amoafoaa, who is epileptic, was delivered of her baby through a caesarean operation.

As a result her detention, Miss Amoafoaa, who hails from Asakraka-Kwahu, is reported to have taken to excessive drinking and this is affecting the feeding of her baby boy.

The Senior Medical Officer in-charge of the Hospital, Dr Alex Osei-Bonsu said when the Kawhuman Association of the Netherlands presented items worth 100 million cedis to the Hospital on Saturday. He said personnel of the Department of Social Welfare have been tasked to investigate the background of Miss Amoafoaa to see if she could be declared a pauper.

Dr Osei-Bonsu said the Hospital loses several millions of cedis through the non-payment of bills by some poor patients. An Executive Member of the association, Mr Afriyie Siaw, donated 500,000 cedis for the upkeep of the baby boy.

Mr Kwasi Abankwa Bediako, a representative of the Association, presented the items, which included; 16 beds, 27 mattresses, 41 pieces of bed sheets, 57 pillowcases, 18 mattress covers 2 wheelchairs and 152 theatre gowns.

Mr Bediako said the donation is to help to solve some of its problems and added that the Association had decided to adopt the Labour and Maternity wards and would soon undertake major rehabilitation works on them.

Nana Adarkwa Boadi Yiadom, Kwahupasohene, Chairman of the Institutional Management Committee of the Hospital, received the items on behalf of the Hospital.