The Ministry of Health (MoH) has released an amount of GH¢1.5m to the three psychiatric hospitals to enable them to settle part of their debts to suppliers.
The three hospitals owed suppliers and creditors about GH¢10million, with government paying paltry GH¢1.5million.
The release of the funds which is inadequate, considering the debt of the psychiatric hospitals to suppliers, follows the decision by the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to stop new admissions about three weeks ago for lack of funds.
This was after several failed attempts by the management of the facility to get the government to meet its budgetary obligation.
The hospital has, thus, been operating on credit which as accumulated to GH¢4.2m.
Emmanuel Febiri, a nurse and a member of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, confirmed the release of the funds.
No Admissions
Despite the release of the funds, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital is yet to resume admission of patients into the facility.
Mr Febiri said, “Management is yet to decide on the admissions of patient because we still owe our suppliers.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Akwasi Osei, speaking at the mid-year review meeting of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, pointed out that though the government released GH¢1.5 million to the three hospitals last week to ease the current financial pressure,“ the psychiatric hospitals are still in a financial crisis, which requires urgent attention.”
Dr Osei said GH¢10m debts had been accumulated by the Accra, Pantang and Ankaful Psychiatric Hospitals over the past four years.
He stated that but for the release of the funds last week, all the three hospitals would have stopped outpatient care and sent some of the patients home.
No Exaggeration
He denied that the financial crisis of the psychiatric hospitals was being blown out of proportion.
Dr Osei said, “All the three psychiatric hospitals were going to stop outpatient care this week. It is a real crisis situation.”
He added that while other hospitals could generate income, the psychiatric hospitals were by law not allowed to generate any income, thus, compounding their financial situation.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri