By Harriet Kwakye
Accra, April 13, GNA – Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, says he is collaborating with the World Bank, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and other funding agencies to initiate legacy projects for the constituency.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders to help the Government to improve healthcare accessibility across the country.
“Let’s work together to change our society and improve our healthcare,” Mr Sosu said during the first anniversary celebration of the F. Alpha and Omega Specialist Hospital at Madina.
The hospital offers general outpatient and in-patient care, surgical procedures, antenatal care, obstetrics and gynaecological services.
For the past 12 months the surgical department of the hospital performed 140 surgeries, which included 40 hernia repairs and 15 appendectomies.
Mr Francis Fosu, the Managing Director (MD) of the facility, said to improve maternal healthcare, the hospital had made antenatal care and deliveries “completely free for patients with active National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards.”
He noted that 75 cesarean deliveries were successfully conducted at the facility, with one maternal death recorded.
The “tragedy” had pushed the team to work even harder to improve and strive for zero maternal mortality, he said.
Mr Fosu noted that while some radiological services were outsourced, the hospital offered ultrasound services in-house.
“An X-ray machine will soon be installed to ease the burden on patients needing diagnostic investigations,” he added.
The MD commended the clinical and non-clinical staff for their dedication and maintenance of high hygiene standards.
He expressed gratitude to his wife, Rita, for her “vision and support in bringing the facility to life.”
Mr Bernard Brown, the Greater Accra Regional Director, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), announced two new hospital services soon to be commissioned. These are IVF and Premium centres.
He praised the hospital for registering about 16,000 individuals onto the NHIS since April 2024.
“Their free registration and renewal exercises, which began in April last year, has led to an impressive enrollment of close to about 16,000 people, with 310,000 Ghana cedis paid to us by the hospital. They deserve an applause,” he said.
Addressing the issue of co-payment – a practice where patients are asked to pay additional fees for services already covered by the NHIS – Mr Brown stressed that it undermined the Authority’s goal of achieving universal health coverage.
It also contributed to unnecessary financial burden on members, he noted.
“The NHIA strongly discourages co-payment and will take strict actions against any facility found engaging in this practice,” he cautioned.
Mr Brown, however, gave the assurance that the F. Alpha and Omega Specialist Hospital had been thoroughly assessed and cleared of any such practices.
“We understand the burden co-payment places on our members, but let me be quick to add that this hospital does not engage in co-payment. We have tried and tested them, and they have passed.”
GNA
ABD