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Koforidua Hospital loses revenue:  201 patients fail to pay GH¢168,405 medical bills

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• Dr Akoto-Ampaw speaking at the meeting

• Dr Akoto-Ampaw speaking at the meeting

Two hundred and one patients treated at the Eastern Re­gional Hospital at Koforidua, vanished into thin air without paying their medical bills totalling GH¢168,405

Narrating the sad story to The Spectator at Koforidua, Dr. Arko Akoto-Ampaw, the Medical Di­rector, revealed that a total of GH¢103,476 was lost in 2022 be­cause 77 patients failed to pay the hospital fees after they had been treated.

Reporter and some staff members at the meeting

He claimed that in 2021, 58 patients failed to pay their bills, amounting to GH¢39,356, while in 2020, the hospital lost GH¢25,573 because 66 patients defaulted.

He was worried about the trend and said that the continuous loss of such huge sums of money annually was a drain on the hospital’s cof­fers.

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Dr. Akoto-Ampaw, who spoke to The Spectator during the hospital’s 2022 Annual Review Meeting with the press, advised patients who owed the hospital to approach the Social Welfare Department to ne­gotiate payment plans in case they were unable to pay their medical bills but not to sneak out of the facility.

The review meeting was held to make public the hospital’s activ­ities undertaken during the year under review, and to explain their achievements and challenges, as well as the way forward.

The Medical Director explained that “sometimes we want to give a

 human face to some of these situa­tions, and because we are a gov­ernment hospital, we do not want to take money before we serve the patients.

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“Human life is important, and so we first take care of the patients and then demand the money later; that should not warrant some pa­tients running away.”

He said, “this place is not a pris­on, and so you cannot also prevent people from walking about and tak­ing fresh air, and that is how they disappear. They take their things out one after the other, and then they vanish.”

Dr. Akoto-Ampaw said the hospi­tal had put in measures that would ensure that patients were tracked and made to pay after treatment or sign undertakings before they were allowed to leave the hospital.

He said that some patients classi­fied as “paupers”, that is, those for whom the hospital was certain they genuinely could not afford to pay for the services rendered them, also caused a loss of GH¢3,183 in 2022, GH¢9,096 in 2021, and GH¢9,561 in 2020.

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He disclosed that out of a total  amount of GH¢166,760 owed to the hospital by patients who signed un­dertakings to pay later, GH¢34,136 had been redeemed.

He said the hospital had reha­bilitated some facilities, including washrooms for the mother’s hostels, a CT scan ward, a pre-operating room at the main theatre, and the construction of an autopsy unit.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

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Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.

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“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.

He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.

“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.

His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.

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The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.

The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

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The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.

In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.

The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.

According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.

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UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.

The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.

It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.

UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.

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The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.

The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.

Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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