Fire Officer, Emmanuel Paapa Essel, who is currently suffering from a kidney disease as a result of his daily work activities, has finally had some help from his employers after almost a year of battling with the disease.
Authorities of the Ghana Fire Service last week deposited an amount of GH¢5,000 at the Komfo Anokye Government Hospital in Kumasi to enable Mr. Essel continue with his weekly dialyses.
The move comes days after Weekend Finder began enquiries into Essel’s issue and subsequently made its first publication on the plight of the fire officer, who had been living on the benevolence of his colleague fire officers in the Ashanti Region to settle his hospital bills.
This amount is short of all previous medical expenses Mr. Essel has incurred and which receipts are piling up at the National Headquarters in Accra, which are yet to be refunded to him.
The Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Fire Service, Mr. Arhin Mensah, confirmed the payment to Weekend Finder.
He also reiterated that his office had compiled all previous hospital receipts of Mr Essel and forwarded them to the Headquarters in Accra.
When Weekend Finder contacted Chief Fire Officer Dr. Albert Brown Gaisie on Mr Essel’s issue, he contended that there are many other fire officers with terminal diseases in the service and wondered why the paper was particularly interested in only Mr. Essel’s case. To him, Mr. Essel was “over-marginalising the issue.”
He explained that the disbursement of government funds has a procedure to be followed, and stated that the Service is doing its best in the situation for Mr. Essel.
Mr. Essel is expected to go for weekly dialyses, but was until last week, he was only able to afford two sections of dialyses due to lack of money and support from his employers.
When contacted, Mr. Essel said the lack of support has made him a debtor because he kept borrowing from the bank and the Services’ welfare association.
He also indicated that the amount deposited at the hospital by his employers only takes care of his dialyses without medication.
When contacted on the conditions of service for personnel of the Ghana Fire Service who may have need to seek medical attention, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Prince Billy Anaglate explained that ordinarily the Regional Commanders would remit people who submit their hospital bills, but it is only when the amount exceeds a certain level and in cases of emergency (such as that of Mr. Essel) that the Regional Commander falls on the National Headquarters for help and monies sent to them to take care of the emergency situation.
“Because life is involved, we need to quickly ensure that the money is made available to support the person financially,” he asserted.
He was also emphatic that even this depends on the availability of funds at the Headquarters “because those monies also come from government for the management of the Service as a whole so the availability of the money will determine how soon the money will be paid to the people,” he noted.
He explained further that, “If you submit your hospital bills and there is no money readily available for that purpose you definitely not hope that immediately you submit the bills, monies should be made available for you. But if it comes that it is an emergency, quickly, wherever they will get the money from, they will definitely look round and get the money to ensure that certain situations are met.”
But in Essel’s case, it has taken the Service almost 10 months to devote some money to take care of his medical expenses.
Mr. Anaglate was unable to state the exact amount the Service is expected to remit to Mr. Essel as his medical expenses over the 100-month period for the reason that the accountant has left to the hospital and was not readily available to provide that information.
Appeal for help
Mr. Essel told Weekend Finder he needs an amount of $45,000 to help him undergo a kidney transplant in India, and appealed to the general public and corporate organizations to come to his aid.
He noted that the amount of money deposited by the Ghana Fire Service at the Komfo Anokye Hospital only caters for his dialyses without provisions for his medication.
He said he spends an average of GH¢300 on medication each time he visits the hospital, and wondered how long he would be able to sustain that kind of expenditure.
He noted that the best way out of his predicament, as suggested by his doctors, is to get a new kidney.
Currently, Ghana does not have any such facilities to undertake complex surgical procedures such as a kidney transplant.
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