A baby and her mother were detained for over a week by authorities at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, over non-payment of their medical bill.

The hospital authorities refused to let the 28-year-old, Edna Fiamordzi, a petty trader together with her infant, go home unless their bill of ₵4,645.70 was paid in full.

Edna was admitted to the facility popularly called Ridge Hospital on May 14, where she was delivered of her baby through a caesarian section.

After spending 27 days, she had accrued ₵4,645.70. Her taxi driver husband, Philip Aheteku, 31, managed to raise ₵1,000 leaving, them with a ₵3,645.70 balance to settle.

All efforts to raise the remaining amount have proved futile leading to his wife and new-born child being detained by the facility.

They slept in a plastic chair and on the floor of the ward, private legal practitioner, Francis-Xavier Sosu has alleged.

Patient discharged

They were, however, discharged Thursday following a receipt of a petition from Mr. Sosu. 

He had demanded in the petition sighted by Myjoyonline.com for the patient and her infant to be released within 24hours. 

The Human Rights activist said the detention and the treatment meted out to the poor mother and child, as “a violation of their rights to personal dignity, special care and protection.”

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Ministers of Health, Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), for their intervention.

The hospital authorities agreed to release the patient and her new-born after they reached an agreement with the couple to settle the remaining ₵3,645.70 in instalments.

The location of the couple was taken as well as their next of kin, to enable the hospital to follow up on the balance.