By Bernice Bessey/ bbessey@yahoo.com
The nation’s primer medical institution, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), says its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is facing a shutdown due to almost a million Ghana Cedis owed by patients that have used the facility.
According to the hospital, which is about to launch a Critical Care Fund (CCU) to receive donations from corporate organisations and philanthropists to help put the unit back on track.
Contained in a press release signed by the KBTH Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mustapha Salifu, on Thursday, March 5, 2015, with the heading: “Korle Bu to setup Critical Care Found”, did not quote the exact figure, but said “the outstanding bill owed the hospital by patients who used the facility is in excess of half a million Ghana cedis.”
The statement further established that since services rendered by the unit were critical to the survival of a very sick person, the hospital was finding important ways and means to keep it running.
“That explains management’s decision to explore a number of solutions to address the problems affecting the operations of the ICU. One of the immediate solutions is to launch a fund to be known as Critical Care Fund (CCU), where corporate bodies and philanthropic individuals can donate to support the provision of care to patient, in the unit,” it added.
The press release also outlined other options such as the introduction of levy on users of the facility, which the hospital would adopt with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Parliament.
It also pleaded with the general public donate generously into the CCF to help KBTH save lives.