…. Expired Reagents Used During Test

Story- Mohammed S. Ibrahim –The Accra Times And Prosper Agbenyega- The Moment

The Flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the just ended Presidential polls, Dr PaaKwesiNdoum, could be forced to go for another medical check to be truly convinced of his medical status as opposed to what was released to him by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital prior to the elections. These reporters have gathered that the medical check-up undergone by Dr. Ndoum could not have been carried out in a manner that would prove the authenticity of the result given him, because, checks conducted at the hospital has shown that, almost all the reagents at the Cold Room, the Central Lab Stores and the DNA Laboratory are expired.

These expired reagents were and being used in carrying out tests on unsuspecting patients, among whom is Dr Paa KwesiNduom .

A document on stock taking of the Central Lab, Cold Room and the DNA Lab, chanced upon by these journalists contains evidence of all the expired reagents that have been in the possession of the hospital which to the best of our checks, are being used.

The stock taking exercise was part of the supply chain management strategy to streamline stock movement in the Laboratory. The exercise according to the document was extended to the DNA Lab where stock was taken on all reagents delivered directly to the Laboratory.

It is however noteworthy that the Board Chairman, Mr. Eddie Annan who has been provided with all relevant documents on the expired reagents at the hospital by some journalists, have decided to turn a blind eye to the situation by allowing the ‘cartel’ to have a free space in their operations.

The document has stated clearly the fact that the list of laboratory reagents in stock contains ‘Expired reagents.”

According to the document, most of the reagents have expired since 31st August 2011 whilst others have expired on 30th August 2012.

It could be recalled that, Dr Nduom was the first presidential candidate in Ghana to undergo “thorough” medical examination at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) before election. According to reports, he went through a thorough medical history, physical, laboratory, special and radiology and electro-cardiogram screening, with the examination involving the checking of his blood pressure and body mass index, while the special examination involved eye screening and visual activity testing, with the radiology and electro-cardiogram examination involving checks on his heart and lungs were carried on him.

Days after this so-called “thorough” examination, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom has been declared physically and mentally fit to undertake the executive functions of the Presidency and any other physically demanding tasks.

The declaration was contained in a report released by the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

But, as things stands now, there are doubts as to whether Dr Paa KwesiNduom was given the correct examination report.

These doubts are emanating from the fact that the Korle-Bu Cold Room has about 88 different reagents, labelled ITEMS in the said document, including TBL, TSH Reagent PK, Free T4 Reagent PK, Free T3 Reagent PK, CEA Reagent PK, BD BBL Crystals, PROLACTON REAGENT, FSH REAGENT PR, LH REAGENT PR, Testosterone, Progesterone which are all expired.

Interestingly, in the Central Lab Stores the entire 19 different reagent (ITEMS) found have their expiry dates spanning from October 2007 to June 2011. The DI-Potassium Oxide has expired since June 2010, the Brain Heart Agar expired since February 2009, the Brain Heart Infusion B expired since July 2010 and the Geimsa’s Stain expired since November 2007. These are but few of the said items found to have been expired but are allegedly being kept for use. Reagents (ITEMS) found in the Chemistry Department have all gone bad. The story of the RANDOX REAGENT INVENTORY is not any different.

Our checks have established that about 107 different reagents in varied quantities have expired at the hospital. These include DGXN, ALP, Creatinine, Phosphorous, AMYL, Tri-Sodium Citrate, Di-Potassium Oxalate, GGT, Fruc Control, Lysine Iron Agar, DRIL, Invitrogen HLA Typing Kit, Cholesterol and UREA among others.

It is also a fact that, this is not the first time management of the Hospital led by Prof. Otu Nartey, taken delivery of expired consignments of goods including drugs and reagents to the hospital. There have been similar cases where those items have to be destroyed after series of media publications on the situation.

The current situation has come to many as a surprise, considering how the current CEO Prof Otu Nartey has been praised to the roof tops for doing a good job at the hospital.

According to some people following closely, activities at the hospital, all the praise songs being rain on the CEO by the Deputy Minister of Health was just a ploy to draw the President’s attention away from the irregularities and the rot that have engulfed the nation’s premier hospital.

People have also held the view that Dr PaaKwesiNduom should go for another check-up, this time round at a different Laboratory where authentic report can be given on his health status, than rather relying on the report from Korle-Bu, which has serious doubts.

Some medical officials who spoke to these reporters on anonymity called on Dr Nduom to go for another medical examination at a well recognized Lab to authenticate his condition.