Tain Hospital risks shutdown as VRA disconnects electricity over GH¢2m debt

Correspondence from Bono Region

The Tain District Hospital in Nsawkaw in the Bono Region risks being shut down following the disconnection of electricity supply to the hospital by the Volta River Authority (VRA).

The hospital owes the Volta River Authority (VRA) over GHC2 million spanning a period of four months, that is from May to September 2023.

The disconnection of electricity to the $36.6 million 60-bed hospital over the debt on Friday, October 13, 2023, has since compelled management to resort to the use of a power plant.

As of Tuesday, October 17, 2023, management has spent GHC 15,000 on fuel, a move that is financially unsustainable and has further compounded the financial woes of the hospital.

The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Philip Taah-Amoako decries that the current situation is negatively impacting their operations to effectively deliver quality health care to the people.

“As it stands now, electricity to the hospital has been disconnected because we are indebted to VRA and this is having a negative impact on us because we are unable to discharge on our core mandate”.

Dr Taah-Amoako adds that management will be compelled to close down the hospital in the coming days if the situation persists.

“If the situation remains like this, we will have to close the hospital down within the next 48 hours because the pressure is unbearable”.
Two newborns lost.

He bemoans that aside from referring cases, they have also lost two neonates since the disconnection last week.

The way forward

He wants immediate intervention by authorities to ensure that power is immediately restored to the hospital to provide primary health care to the people in and around Nsawkaw.

Meanwhile, independent checks by GhanaWeb indicate that the hospital is indebted to the VRA to the tune of GHC6.4 million since 2021.