The occasion, she noted, was particularly special as it brought back cherished memories of her own motherhood journey.

Addressing the mothers, Mrs. Mahama encouraged those in labour to remain strong and focus on the joy that follows delivery. She emphasized that motherhood goes beyond childbirth — highlighting the love, sleepless nights, and resilience that define the experience.

As part of the celebration, the First Lady presented gift packages to the mothers and generously covered the medical bills for all babies born on the day.

Mrs. Mahama also interacted with healthcare workers, acknowledging both the challenges and blessings of motherhood.

“Motherhood is indeed a beautiful experience,” she said, extending warm wishes to all who play a motherly role in society.

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He revealed that the hospital has been facing incidents where thieves cut and steal copper pipes supplying oxygen to patients in various wards, posing a serious threat to healthcare delivery.

Dr. Sekyere made these remarks during a media tour and inspection of ongoing construction works at the hospital on Monday.

“…People cut part of the copper pipes, so imagine a patient is on oxygen, and all of a sudden, it stops because somebody has gone to cut it,” he said.

He disclosed that hospital authorities recently apprehended individuals attempting to steal cables from the premises, adding that the case had been reported to the Korle Bu Police Station for further investigations and possible prosecution.

Dr. Sekyere expressed concern over the financial burden these thefts place on the hospital.

“The current replacement of stolen copper pipes is costing the institution approximately GH₵400,000, even though perpetrators might sell these materials for as little as GH₵50 as scrap,” he noted.

“It is ridiculously expensive trying to fix these copper pipes. Somebody takes a chunk of it for scrap, and we are paying through our noses just to have it fixed.”

To curb the menace, he said management had intensified surveillance and was in the advanced stages of procuring private security services to complement the institution’s internal security personnel.

The facility has also installed CCTV cameras, though Dr. Sekyere admitted that monitoring in real time remains a challenge.

“We have had to resort to CCTV, but these are not monitored in real time. So, if something happens, you probably may have an idea who did it, but the harm has already been caused,” he explained.

He urged the public, particularly scrap dealers, to be vigilant and report suspicious individuals attempting to sell hospital equipment, emphasizing the potentially devastating impact of such thefts on patient care.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Sekyere assured that Korle Bu has an oxygen plant with the capacity to serve patients.

“Oxygen, of course, may have its own challenges every now and then, but with the services and maintenance, we should be able to put to rest the issue of oxygen,” he said.

As part of the tour, the team visited the renovation site of the Maternity Block, Ward E, the Orthopaedic Ward (Ward H), the Oxygen Plant, and the KBTH perimeter wall, which is under construction to enhance security.

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The deceased whose relatives could not be traced immediately by city authorities, was suspected to be a beggar. Beggars at the intersection, however, denied knowing him.

The police said they suspected no foul play in the immediate but are investigating his death.

An eye witness reckoned seeing the deceased sitting at the location with his clutches by him at about 4pm the previous day.

The lifeless body was found wrapped in a Ghana flag and the clutches placed on the body.

Environmental health officers from the Ablekuma South sub-metro of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, led by the District Environmental Officer, Mr George Lawson fumigated the location and conveyed the body to the morgue.

In an interview Mr Lawson said he received information that a lifeless body was lying around the traffic light.

He however led the team to the scene to asses the situation and subsequently reported it to the Korlebu Police Station where Detective Chief Inspector Vandyke accompanied the environmental health officers to remove the body to the morgue.

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In a statement, management explained that the renovation aims to improve service delivery.

The restriction does not apply to cases originating from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital itself.

However, bereaved families whose relatives have been in the mortuary for three to six weeks or longer have been urged to make immediate arrangements for burial or transfer to alternative facilities.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation as we work to enhance our services,” the statement added.

Read the full statement below:

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This annual gesture of support aims to bring hope and comfort to the young patients and their families.

In a short address, Rev. Joshua Nii Amugi Quicoe, the Children’s Service Coordinator for the Accra Diocese, urged parents to take better care of their children and embrace their responsibilities.

He shared an emotional message about the importance of nurturing and protecting children, stressing that it is heartbreaking to see children abandoned after parents pray fervently for the blessing of a child.

“It is painful to witness situations where people, after struggling for years to conceive and praying to God for a child, end up neglecting or abandoning that same child,”

Rev. Quaicoe added, “Parents must remember that caring for a child is not just a privilege, but a sacred responsibility.”

He emphasized that this act of charity, which the Children’s Ministry carries out every year, is a small way of showing love and solidarity with the sick children at Korle Bu and their families.

“We must all take collective responsibility for the welfare of our children, as they are the future of our nation,” he said.

On behalf of the Children’s Cancer Ward at Korle Bu, Diana Anim Agyemang, a nurse at the Child Health Department, expressed her sincere gratitude for the donation.

She acknowledged that such gestures of kindness are not only a source of relief for the children but also a reminder of the kindness and compassion that the community has for those in need.

“We are deeply grateful for the support and care that the Methodist Church Ghana continues to show towards the children in our ward.

This follows the end of the tenure of the current CEO, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah.

The appointment takes effect from October 6, 2024.

This was contained in a letter dated October 3, 2024, and signed by Dr David Nkansa-Dwamena, the Board Chairman.

The letter explained that, the board’s primary concern was to ensure a seamless continuity of the hospital’s operations and the well-being of patients.

Dr Owusu-Sekyere is currently the Director of Medical Affairs at KATH.

Dr Ampomah’s four-year tenure as Korle Bu CEO ends on October 5, 2024.

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Read the letter below:

According to Hilda Ninson, the mother of the triplets, she gave birth to her preterm babies at Akawe Government Hospital on August 3, 2024.

Due to the hospital’s lack of incubators, the staff, led by a nurse named Auntie Mercy, arranged for her triplets to be transferred to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital the next day.

Hilda claims upon arriving at Korle-Bu, her husband was sent to buy some medicines.

While he was away, hospital staff informed him that one of the babies had died.

When he returned, he said the body shown to him allegedly appeared different from the other two surviving babies.

Hours later, they claim the hospital staff sent her husband to purchase more medicines and by the time he returned, he was told a second baby had also died.

On August 5, 2024, the couple said they received a call from the NICU department at Korle-Bu informing them that the third triplet had also passed away.

The distraught mother is convinced medical staff at Korle Bu have old her babies.

She cited a conversation she had with a Social Welfare worker at Akawe Hospital, who had asked her to give one of the babies away.

Also, her husband, Patrick Gyasi, claims to have overheard Auntie Mercy, a midwife at Akawe Hospital, discussing selling the babies because the couple was poor.

Patrick is calling for justice, alleging that the bodies shown to him were much older than his newborn triplets.

Meanwhile, Adom News contacted the management of Akawe Government Hospital, where officials confirmed that Hilda did give birth at their facility, and the babies were transferred to Korle-Bu due to a lack of incubators.

However, they said they were unaware of what transpired at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and could not comment on that.

Medical Director of Weija-Gbawe Municipal Hospital, Dr. David Kwabena Okoh, also confirmed the referral of the triplets to Korle-Bu but declined to comment on the events that followed after the transfer.

The couple is demanding answers and an investigation into the matter, as suspicions of foul play surround the deaths of their triplets.

Adom News is still working on getting a response from the Management of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital on this matter.

Dr. Ampomah clarified in an interview with Citi News’ Eno Sarfo on Tuesday, September 3, that the repair was part of a pre-planned maintenance schedule, which had been arranged before the MP’s visit.

He said the timing of the repair was purely coincidental, stating, “What happened was a mere coincidence.”

He firmly rejected the notion that the hospital acted in response to external pressure, underscoring that their maintenance plans were already in motion.

“This is something that we are even doing and even for the surgical block specifically the head of the department had written to me and all the approvals had been given for the procurement process to get them a new lift, but the fact is that the lifts are not the ordinary type of lifts that are easy to get.

“These are lifts that have to be big enough to take up the hospital bed with some people standing around it. So, these have to be custom-made. So even from the time of order to delivery, it takes a minimum of six months. So, we are still going through the process as we speak.”

“So, when this fault happened, we had to now take immediate measures to make sure that the lift was repaired. Unfortunately, it took much longer than we were expecting and so we had to then reorder our operations in the sense that we were still taking care of the emergencies, but we had to designate other wards and other theatres to take up the emergencies and then some of the urgent electives…So this was done over the last one week. So eventually the lifts were fixed on Sunday.”

“…On Sunday evening the gentleman who fixed the lift and who was monitoring thought that there was a particular sensor that he thought he should replace so he advised us not to use it on Monday morning till he replaced the sensor by 10, 11 a.m. Monday he had come to replace the sensor so normal work had resumed.”

“You think that if something couldn’t be fixed for a whole week and then because somebody came and said something and then suddenly it gets fixed. I mean that is not the fact. It doesn’t even make sense. I think that is just a pure coincidence,” he stated.

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This repair follows Akandoh’s recent visit to the hospital, during which he expressed concern over the out-of-service elevator and its impact on the hospital’s ability to efficiently conduct emergency surgeries.

In a widely circulated video, upon his arrival at the surgical department, Dr Adu Aryee, a surgeon at the facility, questioned the MP’s identity and authority to conduct the visit without prior notice.

We demand urgent fixing of faulty lifts – Akandoh fumes after storming Korle Bu

After the confrontation, Mr Akandoh addressed the media, expressing frustration over the encounter.

“It was brought to the public’s attention that Korle Bu has indefinitely suspended elective surgeries, citing faulty lifts as the reason. This morning, I decided to make an unannounced visit to see the situation for myself.

“Unfortunately, the lifts are indeed not working. We are here at the Department of Surgery, and the lift is out of service. The information we’ve gathered indicates that some of the lifts have been down for the past four to five years.

“For me, it is unconscionable for a major teaching hospital like Korle Bu to neglect its duty by failing to maintain a lift, which is essential for patients to receive the quality healthcare they need.

“It is unacceptable, and I am calling on the government and the Minister of Health to address this issue immediately. They cannot suspend surgeries indefinitely. We must see an end to this unconscionable situation within the next 24 hours,” he stated.

The hospital’s management confirmed in a Facebook post on September 2 that the elevator had been successfully repaired.

They announced that, it is now fully functional and operational.

See the post below:

This comes after the hospital announced the suspension of all elective surgeries due to faulty elevators.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh visited the facility with some journalists to verify the claims about the faulty elevators.

However, upon arrival, they were met by a staff member who refused to allow the MP to conduct interviews within the premises of the surgery department, leading to an altercation.

According to Mr Akandoh, he had to personally visit the facility to understand the concerns.

“This morning I decided to pay  a surprise visit to see whether or not the lifts are working. Unfortunately, the lifts are not working. We are here at the Department of Surgery and the lift at the department is not working. Information we have gathered is that some of the lifts have been down for the past four to five years,” he said.

Mr Akandoh questioned why the hospital waited for years until the lift completely broke down without attempting to carry out regular maintenance.

The Ranking Member expressed concern that, due to the hospital management’s negligence, it is the ordinary Ghanaian seeking elective surgeries who has to bear the consequences.

In this regard, he called on the Minister of Health and other stakeholders to resolve the issue promptly.

“I am calling on the government, the Minister responsible for health, they can not suspend surgeries indefinitely. Within the 24 hours, we must see the end of this unconscionable behaviour. We cannot accept that behaviour,” he added.

Source: Myjoyonline

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It explained that despite ongoing repair works on the elevators at the Department of Surgery, all surgical emergencies and urgent cases were being attended to prominently.

Additionally, those who were already on admission due for surgery were being attended to.

A news release dated August 29, 2024 and issued by the management of the hospital, therefore, urged patients and the public to disregard the “misleading information” suggesting that emergency surgeries have been suspended.

“It is untrue because despite ongoing repair work on the elevators at the Department of Surgery, all surgical emergency and urgent cases are being attended to promptly,” the release said.

Source: Myjoyonline

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In a statement released on Tuesday, the hospital’s management addressed two key allegations: the death of 20 patients due to a shortage of renal dialysis supplies and that these shortages were a result of unpaid debts to suppliers.

KBTH unequivocally refuted these claims, stating that the reports of 20 renal patient deaths this year due to a shortage of dialysis consumables are entirely false.

“We have no record of any deaths during the period of shortages at the Renal Dialysis Unit,” the statement read.

The allegations were attributed to a misinterpreted media flyer and sensationalised online commentary on Facebook.

Addressing the second allegation, the hospital confirmed that the Ministry of Health has settled all arrears owed to suppliers.

“Currently, Korle Bu does not owe GH¢6 million to the supplier as being falsely alleged,” the statement emphasised.

The hospital also announced that it had received a new shipment of dialysis consumables through the Tema port last week, with a second shipment currently being cleared. Inpatient dialysis services resumed on August 12, and outpatient services are expected to be restored by the end of this week.

The management urged the public to disregard the false claims, which they believe are intended to spread fear and anxiety.

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The assurance follows a threat by renal patients to picket the hospital on Wednesday, August 21 over the delayed clearance.

The consumables, crucial for dialysis treatments, have been stuck at the Tema Port despite a partial release of some supplies, forcing the closure of the unit for weeks.

However, the Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Salifu in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM assured that, processes are underway to resolve the issue.

“We have apologised on several occasions for this challenge and we continue to entreat them that they should exercise restraint and that we have gotten a commitment from the Ministry [of Health] that we will have this thing cleared.

“They have already endured for over two weeks now. They should let us work cooperatively as we usually do so that we can clear the container at the port and then resume normal operations,” he said.

Source: Adomonline.com

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The Association has vowed to picket the Renal Unit on Wednesday, August 21, if the issue is not resolved promptly.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV, the Association’s spokesperson, Kojo Baffour Ahenkora, highlighted the dire situation facing renal patients who depend on these consumables for life-saving dialysis treatment.

According to Mr Ahenkora, the cost of treatment has become unbearably high due to the shortage of these vital supplies, placing many patients in life-threatening positions.

“It’s very expensive, very expensive. This morning, GH₵800 for a session. Most of us are supposed to do it twice or three times a week. Where are we going to get the money from? It’s only the government sector or Korle Bu that takes GH₵400 which is not even cheap, almost close to GH₵500 in a session,” Mr Ahenkora lamented.

The consumables, crucial for dialysis treatments, have been stuck at the Tema Port despite a partial release of some supplies.

The association pleaded with government officials, including Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the Finance Ministry, and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) boss, to intervene.

“The consumables are in the country, which is why they were able to release the 20-footer container which also contains part of the consumables that we need. But the main one that we need at the cabin where we are standing right now is the one at the port, so we beg them. Whatever the case, we beg them,” Ahenkora stressed.

The situation has reached a critical point, with the Association threatening to picket if the supplies are not released by Wednesday.

“If not, then by Wednesday, we are picketing here. All the Renal Dialysis patients are coming to sleep here until we receive the consumables from Tema Port because we cannot keep on going through this thing,” Ahenkora warned.

Source: Myjoyonline.com  

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According to the Vice Chairman of the Chapter, Edward Ayem, the hospital has not owned a Computed Tomography (CT) scan since it broke down five years ago.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on August 5, he said the current CT scan is owned by a private individual, which is worrying.

He added if they had representation at top management the hospital would have probably replaced faulty equipment to make their work easier.

“In Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, I am a radiographer and I am the head of MRI in Korle Bu, now we have a 640-slice CT scanner. They are three in Africa and Ghana has one. This machine in Korle Bu has been down for over five years.

“The CT scanner currently we have in Korle Bu does not belong to Korle Bu. It is for a private individual. It’s a PPP that is in Korle Bu that we are using. Korle Bu does not have its own CT scan,” he said.

Mr Ayem recounted instances where decisions relating to his department were carried out by others rather than him, without his input on the matter.

He stressed that if Allied Health Professionals had a director at management meetings, most of their concerns might probably be given the needed attention.

“One of us sitting at the table should be able to speak on the issues and speak to them well. Because we know we are able to appreciate each other. The doctors don’t respect us. That is the main crust of this matter,” he added.

This decision follows the hospital’s refusal to appoint an independent body to oversee the operations of the Allied Health professionals.

The group comprises the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, the Ghana Physiotherapy Association, and the Ghana Society of Radiographers, along with 15 other professional Associations.

These professionals, currently under the hospital’s Medical Directorate, believe their affairs are not being managed properly and are calling for the establishment of a dedicated directorate.

The local Chairman of the chapter, Dr. Francis Kwakye Antwi at a press conference said if their demands are not met, they will escalate their actions to a nationwide strike.

He emphasized that if the hospital’s board and management do not advertise the position of Director of Allied Health by midnight, a “work to rule” will begin on Thursday, which will escalate into a full-blown strike.

“If the board and management do not advertise for the position of Director of Allied Health by close of midnight today, they don’t take that step to advertise, on Thursday we are going to start with work to rule which will aggravate into a full-blown strike. So on Friday which is August 2, we are going to suspend all OPD services.”

“On Monday [August 5], we are going to withdraw in-patient services and on Tuesday, which is August 6, if management has still not heeded our call, we are going to go into a full-blown strike.

“When on the 6th, Korle Bu does not see any positive feedback from the management and the board, we are going to escalate it to a nationwide strike,” Dr Antwi stated.

On Thursday, July 4th, 2024, patients who arrived for their scheduled treatments were turned away as oncologists worked frantically to bring in engineers to repair the machine.

Men, women, and children, some of whom have travelled from different parts of the country for treatment, now find themselves without the life-saving care they desperately need.

A breast cancer patient referred from the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), is one of the many patients left in limbo.

“I started this journey about two years ago, treating breast cancer at the University of Ghana Medical Center. I initially did surgery at the UGMC, but after a recurrence, I was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” Sandra told JoyNews in a telephone interview. “I was scheduled to start my treatment here at Korle Bu. But when I arrived, I was told that the machine had broken down. That was a month ago. I was rescheduled for last Thursday to start my radiation therapy. I managed to receive treatment on Thursday and Friday, and I was supposed to continue from Monday, every working day, for 16 days, but that has been a big challenge.

Today marks one week, and I’ve only completed two sessions. As I speak, I am returning from Korle Bu, the machine has broken down again. I couldn’t receive my treatment. I’m not just speaking for myself; there are many women in the queue waiting.”

Professor Joel Yarney, Head of the Oncology Department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, confirmed the situation to Fred Smith, Head of the JoyNews Health Desk. He explained that Ghana has only two such machines, one at Korle Bu in Accra and the other at the Komfo Anokye in Kumasi – the country’s two major referral facilities.

Last week, oncologists at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital withdrew their services to protest delays in fixing the cancer treatment machine at their facility. This situation, coupled with an increase in cancer cases in Ghana, has compounded Korle Bu’s problem, with some patients travelling from across the country and lodging in hotels while they wait for treatment.

“We used to have just a handful of cases per day at our facility. These days, we are seeing an increase in the number of cancer cases in the country, and the resources to deal with it are simply not there. We are now dealing with up to 60 cases per day, so that sort of pressure on a single machine will cause it to break down,” Prof Yarney told JoyNews.

The cost of repairing and maintaining such machines is also very high, further complicating the issue.

Sandra’s case reflects the dire consequences of the machine’s unreliability.

“The question is, how effective will this treatment be if the machine keeps breaking down?” she asked, voicing the concerns of many patients who fear that their treatment may lose its potency due to these constant disruptions.

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In a statement, the hospital described the reports in a section of the media as misleading.

The statement explained the facility experienced “low current” for about 45 minutes, however, work started on “all elective cases” in their theatres and the operations proceeded as scheduled.

“In the face of the low current that emanated from a problem with one of the substations of ECG, our functional standby generators came on stream, and provided power for work to continue until the problem was resolved.

“Two cases at the Department of Surgery were returned to the ward at the end of the day on account of limited space at the recovery ward not because of power outage,” while the rest of the theatres spread across the hospital, carried out their surgeries as scheduled,” the statement explained.

The hospital has assured patients and the general public that it prioritizes their “care” and will continue to work to provide excellent services to address their “health needs.” 

Meanwhile, it has appealed to the media to be circumspect in the publication of stories that have not been “verified” because they “undermine” public confidence and create unnecessary fear and discomfort among patients.

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Below is the statement:

The inmate was at the Nsawam Prison and was serving a one-year jail term.

He allegedly feigned sickness to the extent that he needed to be taken to the hospital outside the prison walls but he escaped from the hands of the prison officers who escorted him.

The head of communications, Mustapha Salifu has admitted the suspect, Wang Xiao was at the facility for treatement.

However, Mr Salifu explained he was not in handcuffs or a prison uniform even though he had officers accompany him.

“He came to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in the company of two prison guards because of toothache. Once he got there, we observed that this patient was not handcuffed.

“He was asked to pay GHC167 for registration because he was non-Ghanaian. After that, he proceeded to the consulting room, where he was seen and assessed. He was then asked to go for an X-ray. While he was going for the X-Ray he was still not in handcuffs,” he narrated to Accra-based TV3.

According to him, Mr Wang left the hospital and promised to return because he didn’t have enough money on him to cover the expenses.

Unfortunately, he never returned until news about his escape broke out.

“After giving them the brief of the procedure, we told them it would cost GHC616. The prisoner said he did not have that much on him so he was rescheduled to report back at the hospital on Friday, February 9, but has since not returned to the hospital.

“He, however, left in the company of the prison officers who escorted him and so as far as we’re concerned, the Prison Officers left Korle Bu with the patient and headed back to Nsawam,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Prisons Service has said the incident is under investigations with leads obtained to help re-arrest the 39-year-old.

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The exercise, estimated to cost about GH¢4 million, is expected to be completed within a year, especially if the hospital is able to mobilise the needed funding.

It will cost between GH¢600,000 and GH¢700,000 to renovate a ward, including the fixing of equipment in some of them.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, who disclosed this, said the project was aimed at improving patient experience at the hospital.

The renovation exercise would cover all departments of the hospital, including the maternity, child health, gynaecology, medical wards, psychiatry and ear, nose and throat (ENT).

“We want to revamp and modernise them. Some of the facilities are a 100 years old. The old blocks and some others were built in the 1960s, so definitely they need some renovation,” the CEO said.

Funding

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic on the hospital’s centenary celebration, Dr Ampomah said the project would be funded from the hospital’s internally generated funds (IGF) and donations from corporate entities.

He said to raise the funds, the hospital had come up with an initiative dubbed “Adopt a Ward,” to enable corporate entities and individuals to support the hospital by adopting any of the wards for renovation.

The donors, including all individuals, Dr Ampomah added, could contact the public relations unit of the hospital or make their contributions through the short code *713*100#.

The renovation would consider the working environment around the wards, street lighting and rehabilitation of the pavements, he said, pointing out that they wanted to ensure that after the exercise, each of the wards would see a major facelift that would improve service.

The KBTH CEO added that although most Ghanaians acknowledged that the hospital had top-notch doctors to take care of their health needs, the hospital’s environment, state of the wards, the washrooms and the service processes were among the major concerns of people who used the services of the hospital, a situation that discouraged them from seeking their services.

Dr Ampomah, therefore, appealed to corporate institutions and individuals to support the exercise by adopting any of the wards of the hospital for renovation to the appropriate standard and have them named after those companies and donors.

He said already, some individuals, churches and organisations had come on board to support but the enormity of the task required more of such institutions and organisations.

“Korle Bu is a national asset and an institution that has served so many people.

There is no family in Ghana that will say they have not benefited from Korle Bu.

It has served so many people so, if it’s a century old, let us all rally round and support it with our substance, contributions and ideas so that it takes its pride of place and continue to serve all of us,” he advised.

Theme

The theme for the anniversary celebration is: “100 Years of leadership in quality healthcare delivery, through training, research, innovation, and partnership”.

Dr Ampomah said the theme reflected how KBTH over the years had been the leader in the provision of healthcare in the country and stayed relevant  because it led through service delivery, training, research, innovation and partnerships across the board.

About Korle Bu

Built by Gold Coast Governor, Sir Gordon Guggisberg in 1923, KBTH started as a 200-bed hospital, the biggest in the country and remains as such till date. It is among the first four biggest hospitals in Africa, according to Dr Ampomah.

Currently, with almost 2,000 beds, it performs over 20,000 surgical operations every year, admits between 150 and 250 patients every day and sees outpatient attendance of between 1,500 and 2,500 daily.

The first medical school in the country was established at KBTH which is also a pioneer in nursing, midwifery, laboratory, radiology and all the different areas of training and these were some of the things Dr Ampomah cited as the hospital’s achievements.

“If you look at postgraduate training, KBTH was the main base of postgraduate training in all the specialities in the medical field and in all the other sub specialities in terms of postgraduate training for Allied Health professionals, nurses, critical care nursing training, and public health training.

“So Korle Bu has had a very huge footprint in the healthcare space of this country.

If you ask the general public if they know anyone or a relative who has been treated in Korle Bu, I’m sure every family would have some relative or friend who has been treated in Korle Bu before,” he said.

The hospital has also made many medical breakthroughs, including pioneering kidney and cornea transplantation as well as helping the late Japanese Researcher, Noguchi, with the discovery of yellow fever.

Other projects

Dr Ampomah mentioned other projects the hospital wanted to engage in as part of the anniversary as acquiring a new endoscopy building, giving a facelift to the obstetrics and gynaecology department, completing the new paediatric oncology unit and that of the diabetes centre.

The hospital is also  planning towards having a new 24-hour pharmacy, renovating staff bungalows and rehabilitating the sewerage or waste treatment plant.

On equipment, the KBTH CEO said management of the hospital was considering how they could cooperate with corporate institutions to bridge the gap—from hospital beds to the hings used for theatre work.

Under training, Dr Ampomah said as part of the anniversary, they intended training their staff to be conscious of customer care for them to be more courteous to patients and improve their customer experience of the hospital irrespective of their class or income levels.

According to him, the health facility might have self-inflicted its debt situation because it wrongly entered into an agreement with a supplier who provided machines and consumables at a cost twice as much as sold on the market.

Speaking on the Midday News on Joy FM, he wondered how it is that Korle Bu could not operate.

“The committee when we took the initiative with our leadership, we realised that Korle Bu went and signed an agreement where the dialysis machine was offered by a manufacturer who signed a contract that they would be the only people to provide the consumables to them [KBTH]. That consumable that they are buying from this supplier is excessively more expensive than when you are buying it from the open market.”

The Asawase MP explained that despite the demand by the Health Committee for the Management to submit documents for review, “Up till date Korle Bu has not (provided them). The question is, why is the government sitting down and allowing individual facilities to be able to sign such a contract without government involvement?

“So as government, we must have a system where no individual facility can go ahead and sign something like this without the Ministry of Health or government knowledge, since that is what has created the problem in Korle Bu.”

He added that, the government did not have a problem disbursing money to support the facility, however, once the government begins to give out money without demanding proper accountability, all other units might also demand funds.

Touching on recommendations for dialysis treatment to be migrated onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), he said the scheme was overstressed and was currently surviving on “one- foot”, hence adding the cost of dialysis treatment may not solve the problem.

He added that he did not understand how private facilities could run the dialysis services at an amount of GHȼ500, and yet Korle Bu was insisting that they need about GHȼ900.

Also, medical practitioner Dr Titus Beyuo said the reopening of the hospital’s Renal Unit will lead to further complications in the near future.

The Unit after five-and-half months of closure due to a GHȼ4 million cedis debt, opened to outpatients on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the NHIS, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye says a five-member committee has been tasked to advise on a long-term solution to renal services.

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According to him, the continuous delay in reopening the centre to the public raises concern about the quality of leadership in the country.

“It’s becoming painful and exhausting listening to the patients talk. I cannot only help but ask myself do we have leaders in this country and I say that without missing words,” he said on Newsnight on Joy FM.

Today, November 6, marks day five since the Health Ministry directed the management of KBTH to reopen the dialysis centre. This makes it five months and sixteen days since the centre closed down over a GHs4 million debt. 

On the back of this, the CDD fellow explained that the renal centre might still be closed even after countless directives from various sector heads because they had failed to include the needed resources to ensure the reopening.

 “The Presidential Advisor on Health has spoken on the matter, nothing has happened. The Minister of the Ministry of Finance has spoken, but nothing has happened. The Minister of Health has spoken nothing has happened. So who is going to speak for something to happen?” he quizzed.

He continued “And for me, the reason why they have all spoken and nothing has happened is because they have spoken without backing it with what is required, which is the finances and having a bigger conversation about how to get the unit to run without making losses.”

Again, he stressed that unless there is a stakeholder engagement on what can be done to maintain the centre, there might be a recurring incident even after this is resolved.

Mr Aseidu expressed his disappointment with the delay adding that the country and the leadership were letting some citizens down.

He added that even in advanced countries citizens don’t pay for dialysis from their pocket, hence the state expecting the renal patients to seek medical attention in private facilities was equivalent to them “signing a death warrant” since most people cannot afford it.

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This follows a unanimous agreement at a management meeting held on Friday.

The unit has been closed to outpatients since May 22, 2023, due to a GH¢4 million debt.

This forced patients to seek dialysis services elsewhere, predominantly in private hospitals.

A partial reopening on Wednesday, September 27, came with the announcement of an increment in dialysis treatment from GH¢380 to GHS¢765.42, sparking outrage.

Following a public outcry and an ultimatum by the Minority in parliament, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu ordered the immediate re-opening.

A total of 19 outpatients of the Renal Unit have reportedly died since the closure.

• Health Minister directs Korle-Bu to reopen Dialysis Unit

• Dialysis crisis: Maker’s House Chapel to support Korle-Bu, 37 Military Hospital renal units

The unit has been closed to outpatients since May 22, 2023, forcing patients to seek dialysis services elsewhere, predominantly in private hospitals or facilities.

A partial reopening of the Unit on Wednesday, September 27, was commissioned with an announcement of an increase in dialysis treatment per session from GH¢380 to GHS¢765.42.

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, on Thursday directed the management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to immediately reopen the unit, but checks on Friday morning showed the unit was still closed for outpatient services.

The Minority’s spokesperson on health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, chastised the Health Minister for failing to enforce his directive on the unit’s reopening.

A total of 19 outpatients of the renal unit have died since it was closed in May 2023 due to a GH¢4 million debt.

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In a procedure known as Bladder Exstrophy Epispadias Complex Surgery, the team closed the bladder and abdomen and repaired the urethra and outer sexual organs of the boy because they were not well formed.

Apart from the bladder, the patient’s penis was also not well formed and, therefore, had to be corrected through the operation.

The rare abnormal congenital procedure needed to be performed just after birth but due to financial difficulties, the young man suffered silently until Doctors for Africa Group, an NGO, stepped in to help.

The patient was referred from the Wenchi Hospital in the Bono Region where he was diagnosed of bladder problems.

Because the bladder was a birth deformity, it was unable to store urine, leading to leakage.

Rare condition

The congenital abnormality is a rare condition which allows urine to leak all the time.

As a result, the patient had to resort to wearing of diapers which affected the young man’s education.

At 18 years, he is still in primary school when he should have completed Senior High School (SHS). 

Successful surgery

The Head of Surgery and his team of urologists have, however, managed to create a urinary diversion into the large intestines where the patient can now freely urinate and pass stool.

However, he will not be able to urinate through his penis again.

Currently, the patient is no longer leaking urine while the condition of the penis has been corrected to enable him to enjoy sexual life in future. 

The patient, who has recovered from the surgery, has since been discharged from the hospital. 

The team of urologists who undertook the procedure expressed appreciation to the NGO for its intervention.

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The Renal Patients Association has reported that the closure of this unit has tragically prevented patients from accessing critical dialysis treatment, leading to the unfortunate loss of 14 lives.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, expressed his deep concern during a media briefing following an inspection of the facility.

He urged the government to swiftly implement the necessary subsidies for dialysis treatment and criticized the delay in reopening the facility as insensitive.

“With regard to the dialysis issue at Korle-Bu, we believe that the government is being wicked, the government is being unconscionable, and the government is being insensitive.

For the past four to five months, the renal unit has not been opened to the OPD and we think that as a matter of urgency, whatever it takes, wherever we can get the resources, we have Covid levies, we have NHIL and this is a national emergency and government must put measures in place.

We must not delay because people need these services day in and day out…it is unthinkable and insensitive of the highest order. We must be clear that within the next 24 hours, the renal unit of Korle-Bu must be opened” he said.

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According to him, the debt accumulated during the Covid-19 period when the centre’s largest benefactor, First Sky Group, delayed payment for its coverage of about 80% of all renal dialysis patients that seek healthcare at Korle-Bu.

He explained that, the cedis’ rapid depreciation in the aftermath of the pandemic had worsened the situation leading to a deficit of over four million cedis despite the First Sky Group settling the arrears.

“This is a historical debt. Before we got to this point, the supplier had started withholding supplies of the renal consumables because of this outstanding debt. Now how did we get this debt?

“This debt had arisen because during the Covid period because of the financial crunch of course, our main benefactor had some challenges in meeting the payments although he did his best and we really acknowledge that and then we cannot blame him for that, this was something that was beyond him.

“So because of that delay in payment, the commitment has been made in cedis. So due to the fluctuation in the exchange rate, although that amount was paid, in terms of its value, in terms of the foreign exchange component, the value has significantly dropped so this meant that we still had a significant debt to settle in that regard.

“And so that is how come this 4million debt has accumulated which has resulted in the unfolding of some of these critical supplies. So this 4 million will help us settle the old debt which would enable these extra machines and equipment to be released to us to improve the service,” he explained on JoyNews’ Newsfile Saturday.

According to him, the hospital is in discussion with the presidency to settle the debt as soon as possible to enable the release of additional machines and equipment to the centre.

“We are hoping that this will be done within the next few weeks. In fact it can be done earlier but we’re still engaged in discussion. We have been asked to do some work and come back and so once we go back I will keep the people of Ghana updated as to the situation,” he said.

He, however, noted that taking into consideration prevailing circumstances, should the old charges be maintained, the hospital would need a subsidy of 961,000 cedis every month to operate smoothly and deliver quality service.

“But then going forward, in terms of recovery of cost if we are to maintain- because of the number of sessions we do, we actually run about 2000 dialysis sessions every month. So looking at the current charges we’ll be running a deficit of 961,000 cedis every month if we’re to continue with the current prices,” he said.

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The Association attributed this to a shortage of consumables at the facility, resulting in a limitation of dialysis services to only emergency cases.

During a press conference held in Accra, Michael Asante, a patient and member, expressed how this situation has instilled constant fear of death among many of them.

Mr Asante explained that the unit has been closed to outpatients since 22nd May 2023.

“Up to date, patients have gone through turbulent times as we struggle to finance our dialysis treatment at private dialysis centres across the city. Unfortunately, during this shutdown period, we have lost about 14 of our friends, and patients with EFRD and this has left us in constant fear for our tomorrow,” he said on Monday, October 2.

This follows the outcry that followed reports of increased the cost of dialysis per session for persons with kidney conditions by over 100% at the hospital.

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital earlier blamed the high cost of taxation for the recent increase in the cost of dialysis.

Subsequently, the Chief Executive of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah indicated that the price hike for kidney dialysis at the hospital was just a proposed amount and has not been implemented yet.

According to him, before treatment prices are increased and approved, they must go through certain channels. This increment had not even gone through those channels before it became public.

Speaking on JoyNews, Dr. Opoku Ware also noted that, the notice had not reached the Chief Executive Office yet, implying that he himself was not even aware of it.

But the members of the Renal Patients Association of Ghana are contesting this assertion.

They say the hospital was still charging the new amount of GHs765 contrary to claims of the CEO that the new charge has not been implemented.

“I went there on Thursday and I was told that in there system they still have new price,” one of them, Kojo Baffour told JoyNews.

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Kidney failure patients who visit the Renal Unit of the facility for dialysis sessions are being charged a new fee.

This situation has caused the Health Ministry to summon the management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to explain why the new fee was introduced without going through due process.

The hospital has come under intense criticism after reports of a review of its dialysis charges went viral on social media.

During an interview on Citi FM, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Isaac Offei Baah, described as “illegal” the review of the fee by Korle-Bu management without approval.

“The processes are that, you come up with a proposal and discuss it at their management [Korle-Bu] level and if they agree, they put it forward to the Ministry of Health. If the Ministry agrees to the terms and charges, then the Ministry forwards to Parliament for consideration and approval before it can be charged as a fee at various health institutions. If that is not done, anything that is being charged becomes illegal.”

“In the case of this dialysis issue, the CEO of Korle-Bu has come out to admit that, they have not informed the Ministry, and they have not confirmed the charges at Korle-Bu. The issue now is, how come the fee has not been approved and is being charged to the patients?

“So, in line with this, the Ministry has summoned the management of Korle-Bu and ordered that the new charges should not be charged patients and with immediate effect, revert to the old charges. They are invited to come for a proper negotiation and explain why this issue should happen at this critical moment. If you want to increase, what is the justification?”

He refused to comment on the number of patients who have been illegally charged, urging patients not to pay the new fee but to stick to the old fee.

“I will leave that and add it to our next communication,” he said.

The CEO of Korle-Bu, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, said only six patients were charged the new fee.

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This comprised 8965 females and 7981 males, while the total admissions due to heart diseases for the same period was 904.

Acting Director at the National Cardiothoracic Centre, KBTH, Professor Mark Tettey told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol problems were the major causes of heart problems presented to the centre.

He said the common cold caused by a bacterial infection that was not well treated also contributed to bad heart conditions, as the progression of untreated cold could destroy the valve.

Heart disease and cardiac strokes are the leading causes of death in the world. About 18.6 million people die each year due to heart disease or strokes.

Prof. Tettey said in Ghana, heart diseases and strokes were the number one cause of death and urged persons above 25 years old to check their blood pressure regularly.

“Nurture your heart; make sure you are not overweight; engage in exercises that nurture the heart and adopt healthy eating habit, do not eat too much fat and sugar as it can predispose you to diabetes and cholesterol issues,” he said.

He said the heart is the most important organ in the body, it is the most complex, powerful, and important part of the body.

Human beings have put drastic damage to nature through pollution. 25 per cent of cardiovascular deaths are due to air pollution alone. About 7 million people die annually from heart diseases caused by air pollution globally.

The Professor said in Ghana, inappropriately disposed of mercury was strongly associated with hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmias.

“It is time to use our efforts for preserving nature to reduce and restrict the air pollution entering nature and other damaging practices that are ultimately killing us. The healthier the planet earth is, the better the hearts of its inhabitants would be,” he said.

Prof Tettey called for the establishment of a National Heart Institute, which would house facilities and equipment for the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care of heart diseases, and research.

World Heart Day provides the opportunity for the public to learn about the heart and adopt lifestyles that will help nurture a healthy heart. The theme for this year’s World Heart Day is, “Use Heart, Know Heart”.

Heart diseases include heart attacks, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, valve disease, high blood pressure, and congenital heart conditions.

Symptoms of heart disease are chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back.

Dr Ampomah said the proposal had not even gotten to the management level for consideration but it made its way to social media.

A notice suggesting an increase in the cost of dialysis from GH¢380 to GH¢765.42 received public backlash as many saw it as insensitive on the part of hospital.

However management of the hospital in a statement clarified that, it was only a proposal by the Renal Dialysis Unit.

Speaking on TV3, the CEO said internal investigations have been launched.

Dr Ampomah noted that, some patients made payments before the notice came out.

However, he assured that the hospital will find a way of compensating the patients, who frequent the hospital for such services.

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Reports about the increment have generated public outcry, as many are concerned about the affordability of the treatment.

The management, in a statement, said the price review was proposed by the renal dialysis unit.

However, the Ministry of Health is yet to forward it to Parliament for approval.

“It is only after the due parliamentary approval that any revised fee will be implemented,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, the hospital management has said it appreciates the challenges confronting renal dialysis patients.

It has therefore pledged commitment to collaborate with stakeholders and philanthropists as it has done over the years to help subsidise dialysis reagents and services.

Korle-Bu further lauded First Sky Group who over the last eight years have provided free dialysis treatment to over 200 patients annually.

This gesture, the hospital said has improved the survival rate and the quality of life of renal patients.

Dialysis is a life-saving treatment for people with kidney failure. It removes waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys are unable to do so.

However, it is a costly treatment, and many people in Ghana cannot afford it.

Below is the full statement:

The Ghanaian team, including specialist doctors, nurses and anesthetists, performed the procedures on July 4 and 5, this year, and the patients, both of them males, are currently recovering at the facility.

Their donors, who are females, are also doing well and have so far been discharged.

Two foreigners, a theatre technician and a transplant surgeon, were available as confidence boosters for the team.

Each surgery is estimated to cost $21,000.

The surgeries were sponsored by the First Sky Group, an indigenous private company.

The hospital is expected to perform three additional surgeries next month with sponsorship by the First Sky Group.

The breakthrough will save patients a great deal, as many of them had resorted to either India or South Africa for such surgeries which cost more than $250,000.

Briefing

At a media briefing to announce the success chalked up by the KBTH and its team of professionals, a urologist, Professor Mathew Kyei, said after accessing its capacity as a facility, the hospital found that it could perform three surgeries monthly and, therefore, although six people had been prepared for surgery, only three would be undertaken next month.

Currently, he said, there were about 1,000 people on dialysis in various hospitals across the country.

However, at the KBTH, the First Sky Group sponsors 250 patients to go through dialysis three times every week.

Update

The Head of the Department of Surgery, KBTH, Professor James Edward Mensah, who gave an update on the two patients, said their bodies had responded to the transplant and that 24 hours after the first surgery, the first patient started producing urine which was a good sign that his body had aligned with the new kidney.

He said so far, an ethical committee, made up of surgeons, lawyers and other professionals, had been put in place to come up with guidelines to ensure that the hospital did not run into any legal tussle in its kidney transplantation.

The committee, Prof. Mensah said, would make sure that donors were adequately counselled and briefed and also ensure that there was no financial coercion involved.

First Sky Group

The Executive Chairman of the First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, at the briefing, said his company had since 2016 been supporting patients at the KBTH to undergo dialysis and it had so far spent GH¢30 million on this quest.

Also, he said earlier, the group had sponsored three patients to undergo kidney transplant in India at a cost of $250,000 for each patient and their donors.

 Mr Kutortse added that a team from Birmingham in the United Kingdom were brought into the country in 2019 to perform four kidney transplant surgeries.

He explained that due to the high cost of the procedure, the group decided to support the KBTH to undertake local kidney transplants to reduce cost and also help more people to benefit from free kidney transplants.

The Executive Chairman of the First Sky Group gave the assurance that his group would continue to provide free dialysis to its beneficiaries at the KBTH and provide free kidney transplants to beneficiaries who met the KBTH criteria for surgery.

Mr Kutortse said the First Sky Group, together with the KBTH, had put in place a working committee for the establishment of an ultra modern kidney transplant centre which would be fully funded by the company.

Advantages

The Head of Nephrology, KBTH, Prof. Vincent Boima, who gave the advantages of renal transplant, said Ghana was one of the highest burdened countries in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of kidney diseases.

He said the youth were the most affected, with an age range of 20 to 50 years, saying although it was a preventable disease, not much had been done about it.

Prof. Boima stated that kidney failure was a silent disease which was mostly caused by lifestyle and the environment.

Most patients, he added, did not know about their status until the last stages of the disease which then required them to undergo dialysis three times every week.

The KBTH Head of Nephrology said transplantation was cost-effective and patients could go back to their normal lives, but because it could not be done in the country, it ended up increasing the cost for patients who had to travel with their donors.  

Prof. Boima said the ultimate aim of the KBTH was to ensure that no patient travelled outside the country for kidney or any other transplant.

“We have the team, we have the men”, he said.

The CEO of KBTH, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, who spoke on the future of transplantation in KBTH, said the facility had one of the best qualified human resources on the continent but said resources were, however, a challenge which had led to many of its people leaving in droves for greener pastures.

He said to ensure that transplantation had a legal backing in the country, the facility was rooting for the development of a legal framework for organ donation and harvesting so that people could donate their organs when they died.

Currently, although KBTH could perform cornea transplantation, it had to import the cornea, a situation Dr Ampomah said, could easily be resolved if there was a legislation in place.

“The skills are there, expertise is there but we need an enabling environment for transplant services”, he said.

The CEO of KBTH commended the First Sky Group for its support to KBTH to help kidney patients, adding that only a few patients could afford the surgery.

The million-dollar ($1m) catheterization laboratory was funded by the Bank of Ghana.

This, according to Br Bawumia, was after an appeal from him to the Governor, Dr Addison to consider funding the acquisition of such essential medical equipment as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

The facility, which is the most advanced Cath Lab in the country, has an accompanying Big Detector, dyna CT and roadmap software, and 3D workstation.

These are essential requirements for achieving accurate and effective minimally invasive treatments at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Korle Bu, according to officials, is currently the only country in the West Africa subregion offering advanced minimally invasive endovascular treatments (performing brain surgeries without cutting the skull) for conditions such as brain aneurysms.

The acquisition of this lab is, therefore, expected to reduce the incidence of patients being referred abroad for further tests and treatments.

On behalf of management, Dr Bawumia expressed appreciation to Dr Addison and Bank of Ghana.

He acknowledged the facility will greatly enhance Ghana’s capabilities to provide cardiac catheterization, stenting for various conditions and emergency treatment of strokes and thromboembolic phenomena, and other life-saving interventions.

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A Catheterisation Lab is an examination room in a health facility with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualise the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart and treat any stenosis or abnormality found.

The Vice President took to his Facebook page to share lovely photos from the commissioning.

Mirekua from Nobi, a farming community in Abuakwa North Municipality has been diagnosed of kidney disease but left to die in the house due to the inability of her physically challenged poor mother to foot the cost of her dialysis.

Her condition worsened in recent times and was admitted at Akyem Tafo Government Hospital.

Linda’s situation was posted on a local social media platform where Ghc6,000 was mobilized from contribution of philanthropists for dialysis service at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

However, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, February 16, 2023, reportedly denied her admission over the unavailability of bed.

Management of Akyem Tafo Hospital further contacted University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC) to refer Linda Mirekua but UGMC is demanding the patient pays Ghc8,000 medical bill arrears owed the facility last year and be prepared for “cash and carry” before she will be admitted for the dialysis service.

Linda Mirekua is stranded at Akyem Tafo Government hospital as her condition deteriorates.

Nurses at the hospital have been contributing to support her feeding and other needs.

An Assembly Member, William Kofi Afari Agyemang, fronting mobilization of financial contributions to support the little girl told Starr News “she was supposed to go Accra yesterday for her dialysis after mobilizing about GHC 6000 for her. The health officer at the Tafo Hospital made some calls to get bed available before she is transported. The first call was made to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and we were told there is no bed to admit her for her case for now.”

He continued: ” Second call went to Legon UGMC where they told us Little Linda is owing the facility Ghc8,000 so they have to pay those arrears and should prepare for cash down service before she will be admitted.

“But now the money we have been able to mobilize is Ghc6,000 which cannot even settle the arrears at UGMC.So in short Linda is still at the Tafo hospital where we are managing the situation till we get a green light from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. We are still calling on Philanthropists to support us.”

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According to Medical Doctors, the most common causes of kidney disease in children are kidney birth defects, genetic diseases, kidney infection, nephrotic syndrome, systemic diseases, kidney trauma or injury problems with the urinary system.

Linda’s ailment almost truncated her education.

The lawyers told the High Court that Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame had sent officers to the KBTH to ascertain whether Mr Agongo had visited the facility or not.

The Chief Executive Officer of Agricult is said to have visited the facility after last Tuesday’s court session but was absent on Wednesday’s proceedings leading to an adjournment.

Apprising the court on the absence of Mr Agongo, Lawyer Nutifafa Nutsukpi told the court that “the Prosecutor, in this case, being the Attorney General spoke with or sent officers to verify at the hospital that indeed the 2nd Accused was receiving treatment or been seen at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.”

“As a result of that intervention the second accused was kept from the morning to around 4 or 5 pm,” Counsel told the court.

“My lord, it is our understanding that after he returned home, he was still unwell and at night, being Tuesday, he was sent to the 37 Military Hospital where he is currently on admission.

“As we speak we understand tests including MRI Scans are being run on him. I’m not in a position to say what he presented with at the hospital last night or what investigations are being carried out on him presently.”

Asked by the court how he came by that information, he said the information was related “to me by the doctors attending to him.”

When asked again if it was because of the alleged information from the doctors that led to the second accused leaving the facility between 4 and 5 pm, counsel said it seems so.

“That seems to me to be his understanding. Because none of his previous sessions has ever taken that long.”

Immediate response

Stella Ohene Appiah, a Principal State Attorney in her immediate response said, “I’m unable to confirm what counsel has just told the court about Attorney General sending people to the KBTH to confirm the attendance of A2 to that facility.

“I must say that, I sent a word to my senior in this case on what counsel said about the visit to Korle-Bu and she is also checking to find out whether that is the position and so we cannot say for sure what counsel is saying to the court is the case until we have verified from the office,” the Principal State Attorney remarked.

By Court

In order to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegation, Justice Honyenuga ordered “the principal state attorney to find out from the Attorney General whether or not he sent any person or persons to verify whether the Second Accused had attended the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital yesterday (February 7 and report to this court on the next adjourned date.”

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Meanwhile, the court further ordered “the Registrar of this court to go to the 37 Military Hospital to find out whether indeed the second Accused is on admission at the said hospital. The registrar shall report his findings to this court by the next adjourned date.”

“It further ordered that the second accused shall produce to this court medical report on Admission at the 37 Military Hospital at the next adjourned date,” Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Justice of the Supreme Court sitting as an additional High Court judge ordered.

Hearing continues on Monday, February 13.

The group earlier threatened to withdraw services to the Outpatient Department as well as elective surgeries and procedures at the hospital from February 6-10 if management does not come up with a clear roadmap for payment of the arrears.

It warned that emergencies would be refused till all in-patients are discharged if nothing was heard from management from February 13.

But speaking to Citi News, the Chairman of the Korle-Bu Doctors Association, Dr Frank Owusu-Sekyere, said the withdrawal of services which was to begin today, February 6 has been suspended following an agreed timeline with management for the payment of the salary arrears.

“Management came out with a letter spelling out the timelines they think they can pay the rest of the arrears. So we just had a meeting as an association, and we have agreed to the timelines management has given praying that they will stick to their side of the bargain, so there is no threat to it before it is paid. So come the end of March, 25 percent of the arrears will be paid and then by end of June, another 25 percent will be paid,” he said.

In an earlier protest letter, the doctors accused the management of discrimination in the payment of the arrears of the 13th-month salary for doctors working in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The doctors also claimed that the communication to the management not to pay the 25% of the arrears until a clear agreement on the timelines for the remainder of the arrears has gone unheeded.

They added that the payment of the arrears seems to have also been ceded to the departments instead of payment from a central pool.

According to the doctors, by decentralizing the payment, doctors working in financially challenged departments would be disadvantaged.

The strike is expected to commence from February 6 to 10, should Management fail to come up with clear timelines for payment of 13^th-month salary areas.

“If nothing is received, KODA members would withdraw service to Out-Patient Department as well as elective surgeries and procedures. This will commence on 6th February to 10th February, 2023,” the Association said.

This was contained in a letter dated January 30 signed by Chairman of the Association, Dr Frank Owusu- Sekyere. He said if the Management fails to meet their demands, they will withdraw emergency and other services.

“If nothing is heard, from the l3th of February onwards, emergencies would be refused till all in-patients are discharged,” the statement read.

Also, in a separate letter to Management, KODA said it has noticed a deliberate attempt to deny doctors in other departments from receiving their allowances.  

The statement added that although it had asked the administration to halt payment till an agreed date, they had made payment based on departments which KODA says will deny other doctors their benefits.

 “The Executives of KODA have observed with grave concern the divide-and-rule tactics being employed by Central Administration in the payment of the arrears of the Thirteenth Month Salary for doctors working in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

“Not only has the communication from KODA not to pay the 25% of the arrears until a clear agreement on the timelines for the remainder of the arrears gone unheeded, but this payment seems to have been ceded to the departments instead of payment from a central pool,” it read.

Thus, “it is our opinion that by decentralizing the payment, doctors working in financially challenged departments would be disadvantaged.”

The statement further asked Management to have an engagement to decide on the way forward rather than impose their decisions on them.

“We are also by this letter entreating your office to adopt consensus building approach instead of the take-it-or-leave it approach employed currently.

“It is our hope that Management will broaden engagement with stakeholders before rolling out policies that affect them,” it added.

This comes on the back of a flooding incident following a downpour that submerged parts of Accra.

The hospital in a statement explained that there has been a partial demolition of some old structures to make way for the second phase of the construction of a new Psychiatry Department to improve mental health services.

The demolition they noted has resulted in debris which obstructs run-off and drainage around the Endoscopy Unit, hence the flooding.

Meanwhile, they have apologised for any inconvenience the flooding posed.

Below is the full statement:

A notice issued by the Management of the facility to employees said about 70 percent of the infections were hospital-acquired and 30 percent community-based transmission.

Five doctors, 13 nurses and five non-clinical staff have been infected by the virus. Out of the number, 20 of the staff members have been fully vaccinated while three are unvaccinated.

The cases have been recorded against the backdrop of the Ghana Health Service’s recent recommendation of a return to the wearing of face masks amidst a surge in cases.

The facility, in its notice, recommended that staff of the facility should get a booster dose to complete vaccination.

The Hospital also urged employees to wear face masks, wash hands with soap and water on an alcohol-based hand rub regularly, especially after engaging patients, organise meetings in a well-ventilated environment and observe social distancing.

Meanwhile, Pharmacist and Fellow of the Centre for Democratic Development, Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, has said that the increased spate of vaccine hesitancy may be the reason for the rise in cases.

“The question is, as a society, are we up and doing when it comes to vaccine intake? I think there is still a level of high hesitancy from the little I can see, especially amongst the school-going age group and that needs to be addressed because it looks to be that the latest uptake which has come, started in that cohort and they are taking it home and now the people with underlying conditions are picking it up,” he spoke on the AM Show on Monday.

Currently, the active Covid-19 cases are 401 with 54 new cases and 161,935 confirmed cases.

The week-old baby and three others got burnt when fire gutted parts of the Police barracks on Wednesday, 27 April 2022.

According to eyewitnesses, the inferno started after 10:pm.

The injured persons are reported to have been sleeping when fire gutted parts of the structure where they lived.

Fire fighters, however, intervened to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading further.

The affected persons are currently receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Hospital.

Anonymously dressed up as Santa Claus, eTranzact Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director shared over 200 Christmas gifts across all floors of the Children’s block to the delight of children and parents.

They were joined in by Dr Winfred Baah, a Consultant Physician at Korle Bu, who was also dressed up as Santa Claus.

When contacted by adomonline, eTranzact’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Yvonne Effe Faska, said: “We just wanted to see smiles on the faces of these kids, some of who have had a very rough time in the year 2021.”

On his part, Dr Baah, Consultant Physician at Korle Bu, expressed his gratitude to eTranzact and its management for thinking about the children during the Christmas season.

“When eTranzact management contacted me and said that they wanted to donate gifts anonymously, I was very glad and said I will definitely facilitate the visit and help out,” he said.

He further added: “ I pray that more companies will follow this lead, and think of others and help others when they can.”

More photos below:

Covid passports are usually issued by state authorities as proof of the bearer having completed the required number of covid-19 vaccinations and therefore does not pose any danger to others, instead of a need for a negative test, to facilitate international travels or access services.

The hospital said its attention had been drawn to a vaccination document labelled as Covid-19 passport and issued in the name of the hospital.

“We wish to categorically state that the Management of the hospital has not authorised the issuance of these passports that bear its name,” it said.

“The general public is, therefore, advised to take note that Korle Bu Teaching Hospital does not issue Covid-19 passports,” the statement added.

The act is suspected to have been carried out by another doctor following a disagreement between the two.

Both doctors (names withheld) work at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Disagreement

Checks by Graphic Online at the Korle Bu District Police Command indicated that at about 11.30a.m. on May 6, 2021, a medical doctor, accompanied by the lawyer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Mr Kwame Gyamfi, filed a complaint at the charge office of the police station regarding an attempt to poison the doctor’s drinking water.

The medical doctor told the police that he was on a 24-hour duty with six other doctors at the Labour Ward One of the hospital.

At the end of the 24-hour shift, the medical doctor allegedly returned to his consulting room and detected that his drinking water which he kept in a water bottle in the room was contaminated.

Suspicion

The doctor suspected that his water had been contaminated after he found a reddish substance which appeared like blood in the water.

Based on the doctor’s suspicion, the water in the bottle was clinically tested and it was found that the substance was blood.

HIV test

When the blood was later tested, it came out positive for HIV.

The medical doctor told the police that he suspected one of his colleagues and gave his name to the police.

He claimed that the two of them had some disagreement while they were on duty at the labour ward.

Confirmation

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs Effia Tenge confirmed the news.

She said the Korle Bu Police is investigating the matter.

The misunderstanding resulted in the stabbing of one man in the abdomen and another charged with causing harm.

Narrating how it happened, the prosecutor Chief Inspector Emmanuel Halligah, said on October 18, this year, at about 1:00 am, the first complainant, Richard Nunoo, and his friend Suleimana Alpha went to the said drinking spot.

According to the prosecution, the two friends met another friend who offered to buy them drinks.

The three friends drank to the fullest and decided to leave.

When they were about leaving, Chief Inspector Halligah said “Suleimana Alpha, who happens to be the witness in the case poured a small quantity of the beer in his disposal cup away.”

“One man who was at the spot asked the witness why he did not give the remaining drink to him. In response, the witness stated that what was left was too small.

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“The accused person who was also at the scene asked the witness what nonsense he was saying. Witness replied that he was not talking to him as such he should mind his business,” Chief Inspector Halligah told the Accra Circuit court.

This, the prosecution explained, was the genesis of the problem.

According to the prosecutor, the accused person took offence to the complainant’s remark and attacked the first witness.

“Richard Nunoo in an attempt to separate them pulled the accused backward but to his dismay, the accused stabbed him in the abdomen with a jackknife.

“He cried out for help and was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment. He also cut the second complainant on the arm with an unknown object,” he narrated.

The 31-year-old Salifu Awudu was subsequently arrested by members of the community and brought to the police station.

He was further remanded by the Accra Circuit Court. He was accused of causing harm — a charge he has pleaded not guilty to.

The case continues on November 2, 2020.

The screening, which started in January as part of the nationwide cervical cancer awareness campaign, was expected to end in June 2020.

However, it was suspended due to the three-week lockdown in Accra to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Principal Nursing Officer of the Centre, Rose Eduful in an interview has urged clients to schedule appointments to be screened.

“One can walk-in to book an appointment or contact 0243840804 for that to be done on their behalf,” she said.

“The same process of calling would be followed for those coming to get their test results and also a picture of the results could be sent to the client upon request.”

Ms Eduful said as part of the measures put in place by the Centre to contain the spread of COVID-19, clients were required to wear face masks, wash their hands, and use hand sanitizers.

She advised women to take advantage of the ongoing cervical cancer screening exercise; while observing the new protocols for safety.

The early detection of cervical cancer, she advised, could help in preventing the disease from reaching an advanced stage where it could be detrimental to the patient.

“So for women having the fear of the unknown as their deterrent for not screening, they should know that early detection is key to preventing the scourge of the disease,” she stated.

Cervical cancer, caused by the Humanpapilloma Virus, is the second most frequent occurring cancer in women after breast cancer, and a common cause of cancer related deaths in developing countries.

Current statistics in Ghana indicate that annually, more than 3,000 women are diagnosed with the disease and more than 2,000 die from it.

The disease is common in women and girls who are sexually active.

Deaths due to cervical cancer are projected to rise by almost 25 per cent over the next 10 years, hence the need for the campaign to allow for more screening.

Ms Eduful said the vaccination against the virus was ongoing, adding that, women could walk in at anytime to take a shot.

The screening exercise is now GH¢80.00 saying but after June it will go back to GH¢150.00.

The emergency, intensive, neonatal and padeatric care units where the boy was undergoing treatment, have been sealed off.

According to head of JoyNews’ Health Desk, Fred Smith, the child was taken to the hospital by his mother exhibiting symptoms of rabies at the onset.

The parent reportedly denied knowledge of his son’s recent contact with a dog after which a test for the novel coronavirus returned positive.

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Sources tell JoyNews that while awaiting the test results, the patient was put on a ventilator but passed before his Covid-19 status was confirmed.

“Because some of the doctors and nurses there have been exposed, they’ve been quarantined while the facility and equipment there are disinfected,” Fred Smith said on Joy FM‘s Midday News April 30.

This development has, however, not affected activities at the department as children are still being catered for at designated points away from the said units, which have currently been cordoned off, sources say.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service indicates 403 more confirmed cases of Covid-19, taking the tally to 2,074.

As Ghana adopts the all government approach in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, it appears people suffering other terminal infections are being left behind as cancer patients undergoing Chemotherapy at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are asked to stay away indefinitely for no apparent reason.

The patients, who find themselves in a dire situation, are alleging the health workers are withdrawing their services over fears of contracting the coronavirus because they do not have PPEs.

In an interview at her lonely home somewhere in the Central region, the stage three breast cancer patient, who spoke on condition of anonymity to JoyNews’ Latif Iddrisu said, “asking us to stay away is a nice way of telling us that go home and die.”

Like many other patients battling breast cancer, the directive for them to stay away as precautionary measure, has ‘shattered their hopes’ following successes chalked following years of chemotherapy and treatment.

In an emotional tone, the patient appealed to authorities to step in “so that we will not die.”

“I am afraid because cancer spreads so I cannot stay at home missing treatment and not knowing what is going on inside my body,” she said.

It is also taking psychological toll on the patients. Responding to questions, she said “it has really affected me psychologically because I haven’t been myself since the hospital called.”

Responding to concerns raised by the patients, some of whom at the terminal stage of the cancer, authorities at the Korle-Bu teaching hospital corroborated concerns raised by the patients saying, it is in the interest of the patients to stay away.

Chief Executive Officer of the facility, Dr Daniel Asare said the directive is for particular patients undergoing chemotherapy.

“Because of Covid-19, if you continue to get immunosuppression, you are predisposing yourself to having severest form of covid-19…so we asked them to stay off and give us a small break so that when Covid-19 is hopefully gone, they’ll know the new regime that they will work with,” he added.

Dr Daniel Asare, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, said that would ensure the security of their revenue, which, hitherto, got into private pockets depriving the Hospital of its infrastructure development needs.

He said this at a get-together organised for the Junior Staff to commemorate the 95th Anniversary celebration of the Hospital.

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The get-together, which was at the instance of Dr Benard Okoe-Boye, the Board Chairman, was to create a platform to interact with the Staff to ascertain their needs and find solutions.

The major problems that ran through the over 17 departments of the Hospital were understaffing, poor salary structure, inadequate tools for medical care, non-payment of arrears, promotions, poor sanitation and lighting system.

Dr Asare said the Hospital’s management was planning to equip the Security Unit with the necessary tools to enable it to check illegal practices within the Hospital.

He assured the staff that Management would put in measures to address the problems facing them to enhance progress and development.

He said the Hospital would soon start training staff from other hospitals and urged those working at the Morgue to put their acts right to take up the training, which would start next year.

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Dr Okoe-Boye, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Krowor, commended the Staff for their dedication to duty and selflessness, which has brought the Hospital to its present status.

He said throughout his practise as a medical officer, he realised and acknowledged the enormous contributions of junior staff in the success of hospital work.

“That is why we decided to organise the party in recognition of your contributions and also to let you know that we are all equal and key partners in the developmental agenda of the Hospital.”

“We must all work hard, every single day, to change the wrong perceptions about the Hospital.”

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He promised to personally write to the Ministry of Energy to support the Hospital with streetlights to facilitate their work at night.

Mr John Ayarik, the President of Ghana Orderlies Association, called for respect for each one, especially the orderlies, as they complement the work of nurses and doctors among others, adding; “Without the orderlies, work will not go on well”.

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was 95 years on October 9, this year.