The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) is investigating the breakdown of MRI and CT scan machines at some five major government hospitals across the country.
But the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu revealed that “EOCO is investigating the project that installed the MRIs in the hospitals that are not working. They have not completed their investigations so we haven’t gotten any report from them yet.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”XkFMd8RmR9lghX7OoPYKspp1mDcl4qru”]Citi News reported about these breakdowns and how they are negatively affecting health delivery at the Korle bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
Patients are now compelled to access such services at private clinics that ordinarily charge exorbitant fees.
The Minister also noted said “about five or four” of the MRI machines installed across the country that were installed are not working.
“There is one in Ho. The Cape Coast one was donated by Presidents Mills’ efforts to get an MRI here and they didn’t finish installation and the thing was down and they haven’t used it before. There is one in Kumasi and I think it works and breaks off and things like that.”
He noted that the MRI machines were all part of a “very big” loan facility that was taken to retool hospitals in the country and “that is what EOCO is investigating.”
Checks on the ground
The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital’s Medical Director, Daniel Asare, confirmed to Citi News that their MRI Machine has been out of use for the past four years.
“I have reported it to the parliamentary select committee and to the Minister. The minister himself has come to see it and now EOCO has taken over. What we are demanding is that we need a brand new machine.”
He felt the thing was a shoddy job and “we didn’t get value for money and the company must be taken on.”
Citi News checks at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho also indicated that it does not have a working MRI and CT scan machines.
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By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana