Ecobank Ghana, together with its brand influencer Gregory Bortey Newman – known in showbiz as King Promise, has supported 23 nursing mothers who could not settle their bills after delivery.
The gesture forms part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility, and saw Ecobank settle the outstanding bills of mothers who were admitted at the Ridge Hospital, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and 37 Military Hospital, all in Accra.
Managing Director of Ecobank-Ghana, Dan Sackey, revealed that an initial amount of GH¢31,938 was set aside to settle the bills of 22 defaulting mothers; but after several conversations, the money was increased to about GH¢50,000 – covering the bills of 23 mothers.
“We had planned to spend about GH¢32,000 to pay the bills of 22 mothers at Korle-Bu, Ridge and 37 Military Hospital, but after going through the list we realised we had to support another mother – increasing the amount to about GH¢50,000,” he said.
He further emphasised the need to be on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to prevent such situations: “As we make these good gestures, it is also necessary we underline the importance of the NHIS. I encourage us all to make good use of the scheme”.
Mr. Sackey also encouraged the new mothers to cultivate the habit of saving, since it is the surest way by which one can be financially included and liberated from poverty.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ridge Hospital, Emmanuel Srofenyoh, thanked Ecobank Ghana for coming to the hospital’s aid with such an initiative – calling for more of such generous gestures.
Mr. Srofenyoh indicated that most of the patients who could not settle their bills came in as emergencies, hence they are taken care of without making any deposit. However, he said, most of them failed to pay their bills; a situation that he says ends up affecting the hospital’s operations.
“Most of these mothers are referred here from far away with complicated cases; we do not have any choice but to look after them since they are emergencies, but when they are discharged they cannot pay their bills,” he lamented.
“We have a vigorous process wherein the social worker comes to do an investigation to confirm that indeed they cannot pay their bills, and when that is confirmed their bills are written-off as bad debt,” he added.
He said each year the hospital loses over GH¢500,000 and over the years has accumulated up to over GH¢4million in unsettled bills.
He added that since it is from these resources of the hospital that logistics, equipment and other needed items are bought, these unfortunate incidents cause great loss to the hospital.
