Police Hospital Cries For Pathologist

Reports reaching the Daily Guide newspaper show the Police Hospital is currently operating without a pathologist. This is because the Cuban pathologist working there is on leave and has travelled to her home country for vacation. When Hospital Administrator, DSP Joseph Owusu Bempah was contacted he confirmed the story but added the hospital is not in dire need of a pathologist since autopsies are conducted only in rare cases. The hospital he said also has a part-time pathologist from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, who frequents the hospital when his services are needed in the absence of the regular pathologist. �The situation is even better now because for the past few years, we had none at all except for the part-time doctor.� He indicated however that, the Police Hospital has no ambulance. �The only ambulance we had was acquired some 17 years ago. After several repairs it could no longer function.� The hospital currently has a 100 bed facility including a three bed executive ward. The male ward he said had only 17 beds which are not adequate compared to the number of male patients that thronged the facility. This he said is one of the reasons why the facility ought to urgently be extended to the former offices of Forestry Division. The building he indicated would predominantly accommodate the male ward and maternity facility. The hospital could operate 24 hours if the facility is expanded to house a larger OPD centre. Police Hospital is seriously constrained and needs the support of corporate bodies and the general public as it has some 19 very competent doctors including 5 Cuban doctors whose services were preferred by many patients to those working at other hospitals. Because staff are not allowed to organise strike actions, the hospital is over burdened anytime doctors and paramedics in other facilities go on strike. Moresco, due to the misconception the public has about Police hospital; it hardly gets donations and support from the public as in the case of other hospitals. DSP Bempah revealed that several letters written to most corporate entities to partner the hospital have yielded no results. �Some of them call to ask why they should support the police hospital suggesting they were better off giving such support to other facilities such as rural hospitals,� he said with sadness. The hospital Administrator said most people believe the center was instituted to cater for the health needs of only police officers and their relatives, a perception he said was not true. He disclosed that out of a record number of over 94,000 persons that visited the hospital in 2008 over 65,000 were civilians. DSP Bempah suggested that members of the public as well as corporate bodies come to the aid of the hospital, not necessarily by donating cash but sponsoring some of its projects.�There are lots of projects going on at the hospital. Anyone can come and sponsor one and have the project named after him or her or the company, for instance; Vodafone Ward.�