The Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Emmanuel K. Srofenyoh, says its worker involved in the sale of blood has been transferred to a different hospital.

This follows a JoyNews and Corruption Watch expose earlier this year.

The investigation revealed that as much as GH₵750 was demanded by hospital officials for the processing of blood although no patient is required to pay more than GH₵150.

Months after the expose, Dr. Emmanuel K. Srofenyoh in an interview with JoyNews disclosed that he discovered several pints of blood hidden at the office of the Ambulance officials at the hospital through a tip-off.

“Incidentally that gentleman just around the time of this news had been recalled from the headquarters and transferred to another hospital, so currently as we speak that gentleman is no more at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

“I must say that after the story was aired, the following day I had a tip-off from somebody who told me that he saw somebody coming out with blood from the Ambulance office. So immediately I was given this tip-off I just marched there and lo and behold I saw a fridge under the table in their office…I decided to open it and lo and behold I saw blood in the fridge,” he said.

According to him, the Police were subsequently contacted to arrest the officials involved.

“We also reported the issue to the headquarters of the National Ambulance team and also the case is in the hands of the Police. As we are talking, the Police are handling the case and doing further investigations to understand the full ramifications of what happened,” he added.

In February this year, JoyNews’ and Corruption Watch investigation uncovered the collection of unapproved fees for blood supply by a syndicate operating within the National Blood Service at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Greater Accra Regional Blood Bank.

At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, a staff was alleged to have collected GH¢300 for a pint of blood while the leader of an alleged syndicate operating within the National Blood Service at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital demanded GH¢750 for a pint of blood.

JoyNews’ investigative desk and the Corruption Watch’s Francisca Enchill found the distressing experience many patients go through as a result of this illegal practice.