Private hospitals in Kumasi are currently overwhelmed as pressure mounts due to the strike by nurses and midwives. This impasse has also impacted referral cases. According to 3news’ William Evans-Nkum, the Suntreso Government Hospital, usually a busy facility, is now deserted. The strike has severely crippled its operations, particularly affecting the Mother and Baby Unit.
Dr. Ashura Bakari, a paediatrician at Suntreso Hospital, explained the challenges: “Not many hospitals are caring for newborn babies right now. While doctors can perform some of the tasks that nurses do, our numbers are not sufficient to replace the nurses. It is very difficult to continue providing care for very sick babies in their absence.” She continued, “Ordinarily, a nurse would be assigned to care for each baby, but now the doctor has to leave the consulting room and abandon other duties just to be here and ensure that the baby receives the necessary care.”
Conversely, the situation is different at Anwiam Hospital, a private health facility. “Surgeries have increased significantly. Over the last four days, we’ve done over 20 deliveries and over half of these were referrals that required emergency caesarean sections,” Dr Yaw Antwi said. He added that, “The labour ward is also seeing astronomical admissions. And they come in continuously throughout the whole night because when they go to Komfo Anoky,e they are sent back, they are sent back here. Emergency cases are coming back.”
Dr. Gabriel Boakye, the Medical Director of Anwiam Hospital, stated, “We have to manage the situation and do the best we can. Occasionally, we refer patients to other facilities, but they often return to us. Therefore, we provide care to the best of our ability, knowledge, and resources.” Meanwhile, Belinda Tetteh reports that private hospitals across the Bono East Region are experiencing a significant increase in Out-Patient Department (OPD) visits, as the ongoing nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) continues to disrupt public healthcare services.
With public facilities operating at a minimal capacity or entirely shut down due to the withdrawal of nursing and midwifery staff, patients are increasingly turning to private institutions for essential medical care, leading to overcrowded waiting areas and stretched resources.
Our Bono Regional correspondent, Claude Kumi Abisa also reports that the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital in Fiapre-Sunyani is facing severe operational challenges as it struggles to manage an influx of patients with minimal staff.
The Administrator of SDA Hospital, Enoch Opoku Nketia, reported troubling statistics with outpatient department (OPD) attendance soaring over 100%. The increased demand for healthcare services is particularly severe in critical areas such as the Emergency Unit and the Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Nurse Linda Afful, who works in the NICU, expressed her concerns, stating that the facility is currently operating beyond its capacity. Dr. Philip Karikari, the Medical Director of the SDA Hospital, voiced his frustrations regarding the situation, emphasizing the precarious nature of healthcare delivery at the facility during the strike.
Patients and their families have shared their distressing experiences with 3news, highlighting the urgent need for a resolution to this crisis.
Members of the GRNMA have been on strike since June 2. They are demanding the implementation of an approved Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), by the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration. A demand which has been denied by the current Mahama administration on the grounds of financial constraints. The government wants to postpone the implementation to 2026, but the nurses have rejected the proposal.
A meeting with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health resulted in a decision to reconvene in two weeks for further discussions.
Source: Publishing Desk
