Community angry over death of Islamic cleric at VRA hospital

Family and entire community of Aboadze in the Shama District of the Western Region are up in arms against health officials of the Volta River Authority (VRA) hospital at Aboadze for looking on whilst their relative died.

Yusif Abdulai 38, died at the VRA hospital shortly after health officials denied him care for not having a NHIA card.

The deceased was playing soccer with his colleagues on the Aboadze community park when he collapsed.

He was rushed to the VRA hospital for treatment but reports suggest health officials on duty demanded his NHIS card before he would be attended to.

He was left on a floor at the hospital without any first aid though his condition was critical.

His colleagues then rushed home for the NHIA card. Unfortunately, Yusif Abdulai was already dead when doctors finally decided to attend to him after the family and colleagues had produced the NHIA card.

His wife Mama Ayi tells the media they pleaded with health officials at the hospital to help the husband of her two children, whilst they make arrangements to produce the NHIS card but he was abandoned to death.

“I was in the market when I had a call that my husband has been rushed to the VRA hospital in a critical condition, I went to the house to take out his NHIA card but the keys were with him.I realised the health officials at the VRA hospital will refuse him health care without the card so I took part of my trade capital and rushed to the hospital immediately, upon approaching there, I saw lots of people at the hospital many of them were panicking with fears that my husband was already dead, when I got there I was told there is no doctor, and nurses on duty are demanding his card before care can be given to him, so I went with the money and after sometime, a doctor came out of the room to provide care but he was dead already", Mama Ayi told Nana Yaw Kumi of Skyy Power FM and monitored by Daniel Kaku of GhanaWeb.

Nana Kwabena Atom III, Chief of Aboadze says officials at the hospital are known for ignoring indigenes of the Aboadze community quality health care.

According to him, the situation is a regular routine as health official take delight in seeing indigenes die at the hospital with no reasons. He describes the situation as unfortunate.

Assemblyman of the area, Hon. Isaac Peaceful Baidoo on his part indicated that, there is a broken of trust between the community and the company.

He says, the community is angry and will take the company on for the death of the young man.

Efforts to get to the administration of the hospital to respond to the issue proved unsuccessful.