Social services to pick hospital bill of sick Ghanaian in UK

Accra, May 16, GNA - The authorities of Wippscross Hospital in East London, which is treating a sick Ghanaian lady, Ms. Emelia Frimpong, on Friday said the cost of her treatment since March 5, 2008 was to be borne by the social services and not be charged her.

The authorities, however, noted that the next stage of the patient's treatment, which might involve a long-term stay at other healthcare facility, would be charged to the destitute patient herself after a financial assessment of the treatment had been made by social workers.

A statement from the Ghana High Commission, London, received in Accra said Ms. Angela Odie, the Senior Nurse at the Hospital who spoke to the Consular Section of the Mission over the treatment of their Ghanaian patient, indicated the need to enforce the confidentiality rule put in place by the UK Health system for helpless (paraplegic) patients as intrusion on their privacy may be interpreted as violation of the patient's human rights.

It said consequently the hospital authorities had decided forthwith to put security lock on the patient's unit to prevent visitors especially, radio operators, among others from gaining access to the patient.

"Since the news of Ms. Emelia Frimpong's case broke, both Mission and the hospital treating the lady have been inundated with calls from Ghanaian radio stations seeking to know how government of Ghana will react to the case," the statement said.