Korle Bu's poor quality of service; Management initiates investigations

The management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) says it has initiated investigations into an allegation of poor quality of service and staff attitude at the Polyclinic.

A press statement signed and issued on Thursday, May 21, 2020, by the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Daniel Asare said the management had taken note of the allegation made on social media.

In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, Selorm Branttie described how he witnessed a poor quality of service when an 82-year-old patient got to the polyclinic [See post below].

Reacting, the management of Korle Bu said "the issues raised in the report have been given top priority by the Board and Management of the Hospital and a Committee has been constituted to begin investigations."

"Authorities of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital wish to inform the general public that it has taken note of a report on social media that borders on quality of care and staff attitude at the Korle Bu Polyclinic."

It added:

"The public will be duly informed of the outcome of the investigation and any actions taken as soon as a decision is reached."

"Korle Bu is committed to providing excellent care to patients and stakeholders and will do its best to make the patient come first all times"

Below is a copy of what Selorm Branttie posted

Yesternight, I witnessed two very opposite ends of Healthcare in Ghana.

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Case 1:

An 82 year old man suffers a stroke and is sent to Korlebu Polyclinic. He is in a faulty wheelchair at the OPD.

The doctors refer him to the stroke unit at Korlebu teaching hospital. But here's the problem: the stroke unit closes at 2pm and it's 3pm.

The patient has low blood pressure although he's hypertensive. They insist they need to monitor his heart rate and he must be detained till this morning where he will then be sent to the point of referral once its open.

For some reason, the wards have been closed, so there are currently only 2 patients at the OPD, a doctor and about 4 attendants and the cash office. The 2 patients are all elderly men confined to wheelchairs.

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One has an oxygen tank connected and some infusions and is sitting a meter away from this patient.

The patient is offered NO SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGEMENT APART FROM THE FACT THAT HE HAS TO SIT IM A BROKEN WHEELCHAIR AT THE MOSQUITO INFESTED OPD SECTION FOR ABOUT 17 HOURS!!!!

By the time I get there, while talking to the doctor on duty, he shows an attitude of a devil may care nature, almost like hey u can't bother me.... I ask him what can be done he says we have to wait till morning. No advise, no assistance....

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The other patient slumps in his wheelchair and his son and 2 daughters are standing by.

Note the OPD is in the outside corridor. He dies right in front of me and a couple others. The nurses remove all the tubes and infusions and LEAVE THE DROOLING DEAD MAN STILL IN THE WHEELCHAIR FOR AN HOUR!!!!

No, there's only 2 patients at the OPD. The clinic isn't overwhlemed. Nothing of that sort. Yet the doctor sits behind his PC doing whatever and 3 other nurses just chit chat while the man's kids weep. The son who seems to be the eldest starts on some paperwork while the daughters cry silently.

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The man is slumped and drooling. No attempt to screen him or cover him or anything of the sort. Anyone entering the OPD will see him even before the doctors.

Our patient is still just a meter away in the other wheelchair and gets agitated. We ask the doctor if he can change the referral to another facility where we have made enquiries and they are ready to receive him. He goes like we have to call the national ambulance and minds his business.

We call. They respond and tell us they need to be sure said facility is ready for us. We say they are. They say we should wait 30 minutes. All this time the patient speech slurs more, he is semi conscious and begins to weep.

All this time, nobody has even done as much as touch him. We begin to get pissed off as to why they aren't even facilitating the referral and insist that we have 3 cars outside that can transport the patient. They then want to explain something about them wanting to monitor him.... In the mosquito infested corridor? One of us starts to scream and the doctor goes like lemme just sign the thing for these fools to go away.

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The Doctor on duty last night, I know your name but my wife has begged me not to write it. But you are a horrible example of our health system. I hope you change.

When we decide to leave, NOT ONE OF THE HEALTH WORKERS BOTHER TO ASSIST US TO PUT THE PATIENT IN A CAR. THEY PUT THEIR HANDS IN THE POCKETS OF THEIR SCRUBS AND JUST LOOK HAPPY TO GET RID OF US

Five minutes before that, they wheel of the poor dead drooling man off, with one of his feet dragging on the floor... It's sad how thean died in such indignity....

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We get to this other facility. It was like watching an episode of ER. They wheeled a bed to the front, they assist and put the patient on a bed, within a few minutes he's on triage, they aksk for his entire medical history and current drugs on treatment, a thorough one hour session where they had a bed, clean sheets and asked every question imaginable. Within that time frame, the patient even begins to speak better and doesn't slur as much.

We assist for him to be wheeled into a ward... They put a pulse oxymeter on him and string him to monitors. All relevant info is shown on these monitors and they have a nurse stay with him all night at the ward. This morning they indicate to us that they have a kitchen and cooks so we don't need to bother bringing him food.

Indeed, the University of Ghana Medical Center is an awesome hospital with a totally different and pleasing attitude to patient care. I rate the personnel there with a 5 star rating.

If you ever need to go to Korlebu Polyclinic for anything, note that you will die and not even be dignified in death.

I still respect all the personal sacrifices health personnel are making, and I thank them and will continue to suppodt them. I wish to think of raising funds for the polyclinic to get just 3 wheelchairs for them to be able to simply wheel in patients properly. While I condemn their attitude, their lack of respect and professionalism, I believe they could do with at least 3 wheelchairs.

If you want to support let's do it together.

We just don't criticize people cos we hate the govt or whatever, if we win individually, Ghana wins.

Thank you for reading this long post...