Koforidua: Security Men Turn Night �Nurses� �Take Temperature, Administer Drugs
It was all shocking and life threatening last week Thursday when the New Crusading GUIDE scouts visited the Koforidua Regional Hospital (Central Hospital) to ascertain information on Doctor- Nurse and client relationships during midnight duties.
Despite the unspecified number of patients admitted, and on record as at the time, this paper can report that between 1 and 3:30am, there are no nurses at the Hospital’s Out Patient Department (OPD).
Among the hundreds of patients lined up, this reporter spotted a destitute parent, whose one and half year old twins (boys) were seriously under the weather, and had gone to seek emergency care, but surprisingly, security men on duty directed new entrants to the hospital’s account department, where one George Atimbilla was in charge of preparing vouchers (HAM).
All efforts by this reporter to assist George to print vouchers, since he was facing difficulties, proved futile, as he claimed the printer was faulty.
As a result of the faulty printer, notes were issued to patients and were asked to go for computerized receipts later in the day.
At the children’s Ward (about 200 meters from the OPD), it was only one Nurse, who gave his identity only as Moses, that we later discovered was a security was on duty, and from all indications, appeared frustrated and naïve, as he was finding it difficult to deliver first aid to a four month old baby, who had been sent there.
Back and forth, this reporter requested to have a look at the Hospital’s duty roaster to be able to identify the number of Nurses supposed to have been on duty, but Moses declined the request saying the hospital might think he had betrayed his colleagues and as a result may lead him to being ostracized or even dismissal.
However, it took Joyce Aggrey, a doctor then on duty, and her assistant Elsie Dampoh to examine the babies and diagnosed proper medication.
Although he seemed surprised over why there was no nurse on duty as at 1am, the Hospital’s deputy Administrator, when contacted noted George Atimbilla was not a security Personnel, but one of their hardworking records men who had for the past years contributed immensely for the success of the hospital.
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