CATHOLIC HOSPITAL IN SOS

                               

The management of the Saint Michael’s Catholic Hospital at Pramso in the Ashanti region has made an urgent appeal to the National Health Insurance Authority to come to their aid to keep the facility in operation. Saint Michael’s Hospital, popularly called Pramso Hospital by the public, is the main referral health facility in Bosomtwe district of Ashanti and also serves hundreds of health seekers from even Kumasi.

However, the Hospital is now going through difficult financial periods as a result of the huge indebtedness by the NHIA for a considerable period of time. Speaking to Ashanti Today in Kumasi, the Administrator of the facility, Kwame Amoateng, disclosed that the NHIA owes the Hospital a total of one million, 69 thousand, 570 Ghana Cedis is Claims covering the period from May to September this year.

According to him, the hospital last received Claims reimbursement from the NHIA in April after which none of the subsequent Claims submitted has been honoured. The Hospital’s Administrator lamented that in view of the untold financial hardship, the management of the Hospital are finding it difficult to procure medical supplies leading to shortage of drugs to  dispense to patients while only a few of the patients are able to take the full course of the prescribed medication as a result to their poverty situations.

Mr. Amoateng noted also that facility visits has reduced significantly. He said several calls on the District Health Insurance Scheme have not yielded the expected response with the excuse that there is no money for disbursement. Mr. Amoateng gave the

assurance however, that no decision has been taken to either discontinue with service to NHIS Card holders or implement co-payment arrangement since the welfare of the ordinary citizen is a major factor in the operation of the Hospital.