Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is not ‘a place of no return’

 The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, has expressed concerns on the widespread belief that the hospital is “a place of no return.”

Dr. Ampomah claims that this view has caused fear in many peo­ple, and that fear has impacted the hospital since those people refuse to go to Korle-Bu when they are referred there for medical care.

When people refuse to seek medical attention in a timely manner, it has either made their condition worse for some patients or resulted in the premature death of many others.

However, Dr. Ampomah says that Korle-Bu is among the most effec­tive hospitals in terms of providing healthcare.

According to him, “99 percent of patients admitted return home healthy after receiving treatment, contrary to the belief that people die when they seek healthcare here.”

Dr. Ampomah explained the sit­uation at the first Korle-Bu health­fest and photo exhibition that was accessible to the public.

He said because of the false stereotype that you will die if you go to Korle-Bu, “people on referrals with various conditions stay away for many months or years and by the time they report, it might be too late.”

It is unfortunate that some peo­ple choose to stay at home worsen­ing their health rather than visiting KBTH, despite the facility being a national asset that belongs to all Ghanaians.

The Spectator expresses alarm about this disclosure and advises the sick on referral to seek medical care at Korle-Bu without hesitation for their own well-being.

We entreat the media to be more cautious in their reporting to inspire confidence in the public and help them get the most out of the hospital, rather than listening to stories that do not edify.

This is due to the fact that patient trust in the hospital plays a critical role in the healing process when it comes to healthcare.

The Spectator applauds the hospital for taking the initiative to launch the patient feedback system in an effort to identify and try to address the specific problems raised by the general public.

It is encouraging that although some people are reluctant to visit Korle-Bu for medical attention, others choose to do so because the facility is staffed by highly skilled physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Presently, it employs more than 4,000 medical and paramedical personnel, seeing 1,500 patients a day on average, 250 of whom are admitted each day for additional care.

Being a human institution, the hospital may have flaws, so we implore all parties involved to stand by Korle-Bu and help position it to serve the medical needs of Ghanaians and other citizens. At the moment, Korle-Bu is the largest hospital in Africa and the primary national referral centre in Ghana.

In order to make the environ­ment comfortable for patients, we also implore people and organisa­tions to adopt and routinely main­tain the wards in the various de­partments. Bungalows should also be renovated to provide physicians and other staff with a respectable environment to work.

Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is not ‘a place of no return.’