Navrongo Hospital Finally Collapses

Healthcare delivery at the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo in the Kasena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region has finally come to a halt.

DAILY GUIDE a month ago reported about the worsening situation at the facility which was corroborated by both patients and authorities of the hospital.

Follow-up investigations have revealed that patients are now being turned away as a result of the inability of the facility to procure basic drugs and other consumables for daily running.

Copies of requisitions from some decentralised departments sighted by DAILY GUIDE revealed that management is unable to provide common surgical gloves, compelling the suspension of invasive procedures on potentially contagious clients.

A visit to the facility saw nurses idling as there were no logistics for them to carry out their procedures with relations of patients on admission compelled to take care of their sick relations themselves.

The long queues at the out-patient department (OPD) on a very busy day were non-existent as most clients had to either travel to Bolgatanga or Sandema to access healthcare.

A check at the hospital's laboratory revealed that to date, biomedical scientists can only conduct malaria tests as the FBC machine is said to have also broken down with no hope of when it would be repaired or replaced.

The facility which is an apology to healthcare delivery has incurred the wrath of residents of Navrongo who are demanding the removal of the Medical Director, Dr Freeman Samane and the Administrator, Pascal Dongzuing.

It would be recalled in DAILY GUIDE 's preliminary investigations revealed the facility was at the verge of collapse unless frantic efforts were taken by management and traditional authorities to reverse the downslide.

But till date, it is uncovered that the hospital lacks basic logistics, including oxygen, disposable gloves, soap, bleach, disinfectants and simple drugs like paracetamol to care for patients.

The laboratory lacks reagents and other specimen collection logistics to make it functional enough for the purpose for which it was established.

Patients seeking to use the services of the laboratory are compelled by the situation to rely on B.D.S Lab Bio analytic Diagnostic Services, a private laboratory within the central business district, for results of tests of specimen.

Subscribers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) resort to buying drugs that hitherto were covered by the scheme at private pharmacies since the hospital's pharmacy is also empty.

The  situation has been decried by beneficiaries who claim it is reaping them off their resources, wondering why management of the facility which is supposed to be the major referral hospital within the western part of the Upper East Region have allowed things to go out of hand.

Mr Dongzuing has admitted to the challenges of the hospital but blamed the Regional Medical Stores for the non-availability of basic drugs to improve healthcare delivery.

From Stephen Zoure, Navrongo