Lives of patients at the Bongo District Hospital (BDH) in the Upper East Region are at unnecessary risk while a container full of vital equipment sits in the USA, JoyNews has learnt.

Nurses at the female ward of the BDH told Joy News'  Manasseh Azure Awuni, who visited the hospital that working at the hospital is a harrowing experience, as it lacks a lot of basic facilities.

The nurses complain of congestion in the female ward, which houses 34 beds and doubles as the children’s ward. It currently caters to over 140 patients; a situation which has nurses pairing five children to a bed.

Patients with breathing problems, they say, risk losing their lives because the hospital lacks oxygen equipment to support their care.

The absence of laundry equipment means that bedding and clothing have to be laundered by hand by orderlies. This is unacceptable in a hospital setting, where bodily fluids often contaminate the materials and need to be laundered at high temperatures to kill bacteria.

Doctors at the hospital are also unhappy with the situation, which they say is seriously affecting healthcare delivery.

They reveal that the hospital, through an indigent doctor, Dr Karma who visited the hospital, secured equipment through US-based Project cure.

The equipment, which is in a 40ft container, is being held in the USA until the hospital is able to cover the $22,000 cost of shipping the items to Bongo.

District Chief Executive, Alexis Ayamdo explained that the hospital has been able to secure donations from Bongo citizens living within and outside the district but falls short of the amount required.

Currently, the donations stand at an amount of Ghȼ17,000 and the BDH administration is continuing its efforts to raise the balance to secure the safety and lives of the thousands of people who rely on the hospital for their health care needs. 

Until the amount is raised and the equipment installed, patients at the district hospital will continue to suffer needlessly, when help is just over the horizon.