In-patients of the Madina Kekele Polyclinic in the La Nkwantanang-Madina municipality rushed out of their beds as wires in the clinic started to give out sparks.
�We had to run out of the room screaming for help because the wires had caught fire and we feared we would burn should it engulf the entire clinic,� one patient told The Finder during our recent visit to the place.
A hospital source explained that the fire threat was due to the fact that the electrical wiring in the clinic was no longer able to withstand the clinic�s present load.
Our investigations showed that the use of air conditioners in containers serving as offices and for the storage of drugs was placing considerable strain on the wiring at the clinic.
�Every time lights go off in the area and they are later restored, ours doesn�t come immediately, rather it trips and the wires provide sparks,� the source told The Finder.
The Finder learnt that power in the clinic had tripped and produced sparks, which had sent patients running in all directions, at least three times recently.
Worried patients are calling on the authorities to urgently rectify the situation to avoid a disaster.
We also came across congested makeshift wards and out-patient department (OPD).
Parts of the ceiling at the OPD are also rotting away while other parts have almost caved in, revealing gaping holes.
The patients complained bitterly about the several leaking points in the roofing.
�We sympathise with the staff here because they are doing their best. When the rains come they have to place buckets and bowls at the leaking points, even sometimes on our beds, to collect the rain water and to prevent the place from flooding,� a patient said.
Apart from the OPD, other affected areas are the small makeshift patients� wards and the dressing room.
Another challenge identified by patients, as well as residents, in the vicinity was inadequate space at the OPD.
They reckoned that though staff-patient ratio was satisfactory, patients were often refused admission because there wasn�t enough space.
�They don�t have bathrooms so if we have to bath we have to come out and head for the back of the clinic so you can imagine what happens when there is a downpour,� a nursing mother lamented.
Authorities at the clinic referred this reporter to the Municipal Health Director, Ms Priscilla Siaw, who told The Finder that efforts were being made to tackle the challenges.
The La Nkwantanang municipality covers electoral areas such as the West Adentan Damfa, Oyarifa, Pantang, Social Welfare, Madina West, North Legon, Tatanaa and Nkwantanang.
The municipality was one of the 46 districts created by the government under Legislative Instrument (2030).
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