The Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong Akwapem in the Eastern Region, is in a mess following the breakdown of the equipment.
Three of the hospital’s for elevators have broken down, with the remaining one in a very bad state.
Patients with serious conditions and pregnant women are carried by their relatives and ward orderlies through the star case to the surgical and maternity wards.
The incubators are not functioning, while the Dental Ward has only one sterilizer to clean surgical equipment.
Dr. Mawuli Gwakobo, medical superintendent of the hospital, disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times during a fact-finding visit to the place.
He said since the hospital was established in 1961, it had received structural renovation in 1998, with no replacement of broken down equipment.
Dr. Gwakobo said the hospital had invested a total of GH¢5,000 from its internally generated funds into solving the broken down elevators but to no avail.
He The Ghanaian Times that more than GH¢5000 of its internally generated funds have been invested into solving the elevator issue but to no avail.
He said the incubator or the baby warmer was not functioning, adding that in cases where there are premature births, both the mother’s and the babies had to be transferred to either the Koforidua Central Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Korle Bu or Tema General Hospital to receive medical attention.
‘The mother might have gone through a cesarean session and referring such a person who is in pain makes the person very uncomfortable’, he said adding that the inconveniences had caused the hospital to lose the over 7,000 patients who throng the hospital to receive quality health care.
Dr. Gwakobo said the 132-bed-capatiey hospital now has less the number of beds, due to breakages.
A clinical psychologist at the Hospital, Dr. Ann Mensah-Kufour, who also spoke to The Ghanaian Times also said that “due to the deplorable condition of the elevator, accident victims who are rushed to the hospital and are supposed to be properly handled, are carried anyhow to the wards which poses a threat to their lives”.
Dr. Mensah-Kufour also revealed that after serving patients with the National Health Insurance, cards the hospital had not been reimbursed and that was affecting its operations.
The Health Officer In-Charge of the Maternity Unit, Madam Stella Terkpetey revealed that the delivery bed was in bad state as one of the supporting legs had broken.
She lamented about the poor state of the delivery bed for new ones from stakeholders to enhance quality and safe delivery at the maternity ward.
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