The Paediatric Department of the Upper East Regional Hospital has at its maiden Open Day celebration launched a Needy Child Fund.
According to the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Patrick Atobrah, the essence of the Open Day is to afford the department the opportunity to interact with other departments and the general public on strategies to improve quality care and also take suggestions from participants on best ways forward.
Dr. Atobrah further explained that the hospital was facing a serious challenge in taking care of seriously ill children whose National Health Authority Cards have expired, children whose parents have failed to register them on NHIA and children whose conditions are not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Meanwhile, in almost all cases, these children end up on admission with life threatening conditions, but are unable to pay their bills.
He said the continual accumulation of bills from these categories of clients is threatening the quality of health care provision.
“In 2018 out of 149 patients who could not afford to pay their hospital bills, 48 from the children’s ward could not pay, in first quarter of 2019, 34 patients from the children’s ward also could not pay.” He pointed.
Paediatric Nurse Specialist at the Regional Hospital, Mark Anthony Azongo said the initiative to introduce the Needy Child Fund is for the interest of our Needy Children. He believes that if the general public participate in the Needy Child Fund, it will go a long way in putting smiles on the faces of needy children.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage who was at the event commended the Advisory Board and Management of the Upper East Regional Hospital for instituting the Open Day for clients and the public to interact with duty bearers.
She was convinced that the move is surely in line with best practices which offer stakeholders the opportunity to give feedback on the service rendered by the hospital. An Open Day is not just for the public but the hospital as well to feed inputs into their line of management and service delivery for efficiency and effectiveness.
She indicated that some poor parents of sick children find it difficult to register or even renew their National Health Insurance Scheme cards, while others are unable to afford the cost of drugs for their wards, which are not covered by the NHIS.
“The plight of children becomes more wrenching when they are referred to higher facilities for attention and their parents are so poor and are unable to bear the associated costs.” She explained.
However, in launching the Needy Child Fund, the Regional Minister pledged to support the Needy Fund with an amount of Ten Thousands Ghana Cedis (GHc10,000.00).
The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Bonaba Baba Salifu Lemyaarum who was the chairman of the occasion lauded the move by management, especially with the initiative of the Needy Child Fund.
According to him, such interventions will go a long way in putting smiles in the faces of vulnerable parents and their needy children.
Source: A1radioonline.com | Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen | Ghana
