Dr. Okoe BoyeK
Board Chair of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr. Okoe Boye, has disclosed that the health facility had already started its licensing process with the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA) before the former’s visit to the latter.
“…So Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital being the premier hospital wanted to show the way that we also should harmonize and be subject to the law. We approached HeFRA, HeFRA did not approach us, picked the forms, paid for it and began the process,” he revealed.
Dr. Okoe Boye, therefore, found reports suggesting that the premier hospital would be shut down by March 31very strange.
He said his outfit took the initiative to acquire the licence for other public health facilities which are yet to be licensed to follow suit, adding that they are not being coerced to do so as some media reports are suggesting.
Dr. Okoe Boye reiterated that his outfit would remain the premier hospital in the country and would not be shut down.
According to him, a multiplicity of factors, including the emphasis of the regulatory authority on licensing private hospitals, made it difficult for public health institutions to be licensed.
His comment comes after reports that the country’s foremost hospital is at risk of being closed down by March 31, 2019.
The body mandated to license health institutions in Ghana has said Korle-Bu operates without a valid license.
The Board Chairman of HeFRA, Nana Otuo Acheampong, disclosed this to JoyNews during an inspection of some private and public health facilities in Accra.
But, speaking at the sidelines of the launch of the Dr. Okoe Boye Skills Support project, the board chair of KBTH said, “Health facilities Regulation Authority was set up to license health facilities to ensure they meet some basic standards.
“The motivation or purpose is to ensure that those who are motivated by profit do not cut corners in healthcare delivery. When it was set up, traditionally the attention was on private facilities because they are the one’s profit-driven and not owned by the government. Although the law encompasses both public and private institutions they have spent attention on private facilities,” he indicated.
The Ledzokuku MP continued, “For some time also HEFRA became moribund and was not active. We amended the law and they became active and started visiting facilities.”
According to him, the country’s number one referral centre needs the licence for its own credibility and has taken the steps to finish the process of licensing.
He said given the over 4,000 staff in the hospital, it would take a while for the hospital to complete the process.
Dr. Okoe Boye, however, gave an assurance that the hospital would get a licence and would not be shut down.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri