A Ghanaian philanthropist has called on wealthy individuals, businesses and corporate organisations to support efforts to reduce congestion at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) by helping vulnerable patients settle their outstanding medical bills.
The appeal follows a GH¢60,000 donation by the Chief Executive Officer of Oxrich Group of Companies, Richmond Osei, to pay the hospital bills of 16 patients who had fully recovered but were unable to leave the facility because they could not afford to clear their debts.
The gesture comes at a critical time for KATH, which is facing severe overcrowding. The hospital is currently caring for more than 2,200 in-patients despite having a bed capacity of just 1,200.
The strain on resources recently forced management to temporarily suspend new admissions at the Emergency and Accident Unit as it struggled to cope with the growing number of trauma, maternity and surgical emergency cases.
Speaking after making the donation, Mr Osei said hospital officials had briefed him on the increasing number of patients who remain admitted solely because of unpaid medical bills.
According to him, settling such debts would not only restore dignity to affected patients and their families but also free up much-needed beds for critically ill individuals awaiting admission.
“These 16 people are medically fit to return home, yet they remain in hospital because they cannot pay their bills. At the same time, there are patients in urgent need of care who cannot get beds because those spaces are occupied. This is more than a healthcare challenge; it is a humanitarian issue,” he said.
Mr Osei encouraged affluent Ghanaians, corporate institutions and philanthropists to join similar interventions to support vulnerable patients and improve access to healthcare.
“If each of us commits to helping even a few patients, we can significantly reduce congestion at KATH and bring relief to families facing difficult circumstances,” he appealed.
He further proposed the creation of a dedicated fund that would enable companies, charitable organisations and individuals to make regular contributions towards settling the medical bills of indigent patients.
“Philanthropy should be a collective responsibility, not the burden of one person. KATH plays a vital role in saving lives every day, but it cannot do it alone. We must support efforts to free up beds and allow healthcare professionals to focus on patient care rather than debt recovery,” he added.
Medical Director of KATH, Dr Kwadwo Sarbeng, welcomed the donation and described it as a timely intervention that had immediately created space for patients in critical need of admission.
He noted that unpaid medical bills remain one of the hospital’s most pressing challenges, with millions of cedis owed by patients and their families.
According to Dr Sarbeng, some relatives abandon patients after treatment because they are unable to settle their medical expenses, resulting in recovered patients occupying beds for extended periods.
While the hospital’s Social Welfare and Patient Relations Unit works to support financially distressed patients through charitable assistance and flexible payment arrangements, he said available resources are increasingly overstretched.
Dr Sarbeng stressed that stronger collaboration between the hospital, private individuals and corporate organisations would go a long way toward easing the financial burden and improving healthcare delivery.
“We are deeply grateful to Mr Osei for this generous intervention. His support has immediately freed beds for patients who urgently require care. Every bed occupied by a recovered patient is a bed unavailable to someone fighting for their life. We encourage others to emulate this example because every contribution counts,” he said.
The beneficiaries expressed heartfelt appreciation to Mr Osei, describing the donation as life-changing after weeks of uncertainty, financial hardship and emotional distress that had kept them in hospital long after they had recovered.