The Chief Executive of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, has been slammed for doing what the South Dayi Member of Parliament has described as taking over the work of his Public Relations Officer.
He says the CEO should perform his duties as required of him and allow the mouthpiece of the hospital execute his role rather than coming out to say things that will tarnish the integrity of the facility he is overseeing.
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor’s comment comes after the CEO made an interview to counter an explanation provided by the hospital’s PRO on the cost of treatment of renal dialysis at the facility.
The #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration that came off September 21, 2023, revealed that the cost of renal dialysis has been increased from GHC380 to GHC765.42 after a protestor lamented to the media that persons with the chronic kidney infection can no longer afford the cost.
The matter sparked public uproar after the media took over the issue, with many people calling for the head of the Chief Executive Officer of the teaching hospital and the person in charge of the dialysis unit.
The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mustapha Seidu, indicated that the increment was necessitated by the high taxes the hospital had to bear due to the scraping of some tax reliefs they were hitherto given when clearing the equipment for the unit.
When it came to bear that the increment had not been approved by Parliament and was therefore illegal, the CEO, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, said the release of the new price was a mistake as measures were now in place to get the Minister of Health to present it in Parliament for approval.
When calls came for him to compensate those who have been charged with the new illegal fees, he said only six (6) patients had been affected and since they were regular visitors of the facility, they going to offset the cost in their subsequent visits.
Commenting on the issue, Mr. Dafeamekpor said leaders of institutions should not speak when they do not have the facts to an issue.
“My problem is don’t speak to matters if you are not fully with the facts. As a people, this should wake us up as to what can we do.
“Let me say this, I think it is time heads of institutions, CEOs, MDs stop taking the work of PROs of their institutions. This is the kind of problem you can run yourself into if you take somebody’s job. This is work of the PRO; it is the PRO who should be speaking to these matters. Not you the CEO, that is why when it comes to a matter of discipline, then you will discipline. Is it that my PRO…, you failed to acquire all the facts surrounding this matter before going public and so for that internal disciplinary measures would have to be meted out to you?” he queried whilst contributing on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, September 30, 2023.
Meanwhile, the MP has called on the government to establish a National Medical Fund to absorb the cost of non-communicable diseases for patients who cannot afford it.
“I agree that as a nation, it is time we have a medical fund, a national medical fund. The state has not made provision for categories of medical conditions to be absorbed. I think that we need a national medical fund, it is not beyond us,” he stated.
