Almost a year after the government released about GH500,000 to offset part of a GHc4 million debt owed suppliers of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the facility is yet to receive the rest of the money.
The three-year-old debt owed the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, forced suppliers of the facility to withdraw their services which subsequently led to suspension of new admissions.
Speaking to Citi News, the Head of Public Relations at the hospital, Dr. Ama Boadu, said the Minister of Health is yet to meet with them to discuss the way forward.
“Our challenges are not new to the public. From late last year when we had the crisis and the government brought in some money, since then, we haven’t received any amount from the government.”
“The hospital director and the administrator have tried several times to meet the Minister of Health and as at now… they haven’t been able to meet the minister,” she added.
As to how the hospital is surviving, Dr. Boadu said “we are still relying on donations from people. For the money the government gave, we exhausted that long ago so it is really a difficult situation for the hospital.”
In 2016, the hospital halted admissions to its Out Patient Department (OPD), because of their financial challenges which have continued to worsen.
Suppliers of the mental health facility withdrew the supply of essential medical products due to the unpaid debts.
In late October 2016, the hospital’s nurses also withdrew their services for a period over government’s failure to provide them with basic logistics and essential medicines which they said worsened the conditions of some of the mental patients.
In November 2016, the government eventually released GHc300, 000 and GHC 120,000 worth of drugs and other consumables after the strike was called off.
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