Upper East hospitals offer free Medicare for paupers/aged

Bolgatanga (Upper East), 28 Jan. '99 - Health institutions in five districts in the Upper East region spent more than 112 million cedis last year to treat paupers, the aged and pregnant women who needed medical care. The districts include, Bolgatanga, Bongo Bawku West, Builsa and Kassena Nankana. Dr Joseph Amankwa, deputy regional director of health services who said this at a conference of senior health managers in Bolgatanga, explained that free medical care for people in that category was in line with the Ministry of Health's current policy. He said majority of the people in the region are poor and that many who might not be seen as paupers are still incapable of paying medical bills, especially when surgery is involved. He said there have been many instances when relatives of patients on admission refuse to turn-up to settle bills when the patients are discharged. In such cases the hospital is forced to take up the bills, since health authorities cannot continue holding the patients in detention.