Health News of Thursday, 12 February 2015

Source: starrfmonline.com

Health Alert! Benches become make-shift beds at Ridge hospital

The Ridge Hospital in Accra has turned benches into beds to admit patients due to congestion at the facility.

Patients are now sleeping on benches as the hospital has run out of beds with some wards overpopulated.

Nurses at the hospital have no choice than to give drips and other serious medications to patients in the open on the improvised beds.

Some of the patients who shared their frustrations with Starr News’ Josephine Asabea Akonnor said they have been at the hospital for days but been sleeping on benches since they were admitted.

But the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Obeng Apori, told Starr News that there is very little the hospital can do about the situation.

Dr. Apori is, however, asking other health facilities in the Accra metropolis to handle some referral cases since the Ridge hospital is choked.

“The press and those of us in the Health sector are all protagonists to ensure that we give the best in terms of health to our population, but all of us know that like every other corporation there are constraints.

“I’m sure when you were coming, you saw that patients were being nursed on benches…it’s all because they going to other places and they [being] referred here and there are little or no beds here," Dr. Apori said.