KATH calls for support to pay utility bills

Management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is calling for donor support to enable them foot utility bills for the facility.

The hospital is now having to cough out some Ghc300,000 a month for electricity bills after it was taken off government subvention.

Government has taken off some state agencies from the national budget to enable them clean up their balance sheets, which would enable them to source commercial financing from the market, on the strength of their sheets.

The move is also part of efforts by the government to rationalise expenditure and lesson the debt profile of the economy.

Speaking to Starr News’ Ashanti regional correspondent Isaac Bediako Justice, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital Joseph Akpalu said the situation is creating dire cash problems for the facility.

He said the hospital is now looking for innovative ways to raise funds to keep it running.

“Running a facility like KATH is becoming increasingly challenging if not difficult.

“With high operational cost and transfer of new expenditure being pushed on health facilities, the hospital has to find way to reduce cost and establish new ways of raising revenue streams to survive.

“The hospital’s average monthly electricity bill is Ghc299,000. These are expenses that the hospital’s internally generated funds cannot pay hence the need of adoption of smart management practices to help keep the hospital afloat” he lamented.