The Agogo Government Hospital has warned it will start turning away patients if the National Health Insurance Authority fails to pay all its claims by Wednesday, May 6, 2009. Hospital authorities say the NHIA owes the hospital about GH¢500,000 in unpaid claims. For the past one month, out-patient attendants have had to buy drugs on prescription from private pharmacy shops because the hospital cannot afford to supply them with such drugs. The General Manager of the hospital, Thomas Mensah, told Joy News they supply only emergency drugs. “What that means is that when you come to the hospital and it is not an emergency case we will give you a prescription to go and buy your drugs. “Previously we were serving everybody. Every insured person got all services.” He said the hospital has since March 1, this year, been running on an overdraft taken from a bank because of the non-payment of the claims. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com