The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has directed all Regional Health Directors to ensure that patients and visitors are not charged for using toilets in health facilities.
Prof. Akoriyea emphasized that washrooms are an integral part of hospital infrastructure, intended to provide comfort and prevent the risk of infection.
“Our attention has been drawn to the charging of fees at Ghana Health Service facilities. It must be noted that the washrooms are an integral part of the hospital infrastructure intended to provide comfort for patients and visitors and should not be used as avenues for exploitation,” Prof Samuel Kaba Akoriyea wrote in a press statement.
“The washrooms must at all times be kept clean and comfortable to prevent the risk of infection, improve perception of patient care quality, and increase patient satisfaction,” he stressed.
He added, “Regional Directors are accordingly requested to ensure that this practice ceases with immediate effect. Failure by facility heads to adhere to this directive will attract sanctions. Kindly bring this to the notice of all heads of facilities for strict compliance,” Prof Akoriyea directed.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke