KATH INVESTIGATES COLLECTION OF ILLEGAL FEES (PAGE 28)

Authorities at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) last Wednesday initiated investigations into a case involving some radiologists at the Polyclinic of the KATH who allegedly pocketed various sums of money from patients taking X-ray without issuing them receipts.
The attention of the hospital authorities was drawn to the illegal collection of fees from the X-ray department when a number of fresh students from the Christian Service University College (CSUC) in Kumasi went there to take an X-ray as part of their admission formalities.
After the exercise the students, who were more than 200 in number, were made to pay between GH¢10.00 and GH¢15.00. When they demanded receipts the radiologists flatly refused to issue them.
The latest victim, Ms Adwoa Tiwaa Adjie, who went to take her X-ray around 3:15 p.m. on September 2, 2008, as demanded by the university authorities, was made to cough up GH¢15.00 before she could be issued with a receipt.
This was after she had paid the GH¢10.00 demanded by one of the radiologists at the polyclinic. Unable to stand the cheating, she lodged a formal complaint with the complaints unit of the KATH and demanded an explanation as to why a section of the staff collect fees from patients without any form of accountability.
When The Daily Graphic contacted the Chief Executive of the KATH, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, on the allegation of illegal collection of fees by a section of his staff, he said his attention had already been drawn to the issue and had therefore initiated investigations into the case.
He expressed concern about the alleged collection of illegal fees and said it undermined the positive image of the hospital, especially coming at a time when the authorities were on course regarding their vision of achieving a reputation as a centre of international excellence.
He said his administration would never condone such attitude and would therefore get to the bottom of the allegations and punish those found culpable.
Earlier, Ms Tiwaa Adjie told Daily Graphic that after taking the X-ray and after having been given the film, “a gentleman asked me to pay GH¢10.00, and I told him that elsewhere at the Kumasi South Hospital, such services attracted GH¢5.00, but he insisted on GH¢10.00, so I paid it and demanded a receipt to cover the amount paid”.
She said the gentleman refused and rather directed her to see a fair-coloured middle- aged lady in the other room at the department. “When I went, the lady told me to pay an additional GH¢5.00 if I needed the receipt”, she added.
She remarked that coming at a time when other tertiary students in Kumasi are also required to take an X-ray as part of their admission formalities, the hospital stands to lose substantial amounts of money to some greedy and selfish staff.